The *Wicked* film has not only received 10 [Oscar nominations](https://me.mashable.com/movies/51744/2025-oscar-nominations-see-the-full-list), but it has also ignited [one of the most unforgettable press tour memes in recent times](https://mashable.com/article/wicked-holding-space-for-defying-gravity-meme-explained).

While the term “holding space” left many puzzled, it turns out that Ariana Grande was at the heart of this misunderstanding.

In a segment from the *Graham Norton Show*, Grande reminisces about the now-iconic exchange between her co-star Cynthia Erivo and interviewer Tracy E. Gilchrist. “I’m like, what the heck is this whole exchange?” she expresses, clearly perplexed. “What does it signify?”

Grande then describes how she instinctively took hold of Erivo’s finger in that moment, attempting to console her, and began to tap it. “I don’t know what else to do with myself,” she confesses.

“It was just this energy I didn’t know how to manage,” Grande clarifies. “It came from a place of affection and a desire to support her, but why *this*?” To demonstrate, she taps Reese Witherspoon’s finger, adding with a chuckle, “I don’t have a clue.”