Royal Variety Performance

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Royal Variety Performance

The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family

British Royal Family

The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in his or her Commonwealth realm#The Crown in the Commonwealth realmss, thus sometimes at variance with official national terms for the family....
, usually the reigning monarch. In more recent years Queen Elizabeth II and The Prince of Wales have alternately attended the performance. The performance showcases a variety of family entertainment, including comedy

Comedy

Comedy as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse generally intended to amuse, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western culture origins are found in Ancient Greece....
, singing

Singing

Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the human voice, which is often contrasted with regular speech. A person who sings is called a singer or vocalist....
, dance

Dance

Dance is an art form that generally refers to Motion of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of Emotional expression, social social interaction or presented in a spirituality or performance setting....
, magic

Magic

Magic may refer to:* Magic , anything that is not explainable by any present laws of science.** Magical thinking** Folk magic, traditional systems of magic...
and other speciality acts, with many of the performers and hosts being popular celebrities—a variety show

Variety show

A variety show or variety entertainment is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and comedy skits, and normally introduced by a Master of Ceremonies or Presenter....
.

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Encyclopedia

The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

British Royal Family

Comedy

Singing

Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the human voice, which is often contrasted with regular speech. A person who sings is called a singer or vocalist....
, dance

Dance

Magic

Variety show

Entertainment Artistes Benevolent Fund

The Entertainment Artistes Benevolent Fund is a charity based in Twickenham, Middlesex, England. It is dedicated to helping provide support for elderly, infirm or distressed members and former members of the entertainment industry, and their dependants....
of which Queen Elizabeth is patron. All proceeds are donated to the fund.

The performance is televised to the public and is considered by many to be a tradition of the Christmas season, being held late in November, or early in December. The responsibility of producing and broadcasting the performance is shared alternately between the BBC and ITV

ITV

ITV is a public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom television network of British television broadcasters, set up under the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC....
and it is becoming a tradition for the BBC to stage the performance in London

London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
's West End

West End theatre

West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's "Theatreland". Along with New York City's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English language world....
and for ITV to stage it in regional theatres outside of London.

The performance is a New Year's tradition in Norway, where it is broadcast at 00:00 on January 1. Several other European countries also broadcast the show.

First show

The first performance, on July 1, 1912, was called the Royal Command Performance, and this name has persisted informally for the event. This was held in the Palace Theatre

Palace Theatre, London

The Palace Theatre, is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster. It is an imposing red-brick building that dominates the west side of Cambridge Circus, London, and is located near the intersection of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road....
, Shaftesbury Avenue

Shaftesbury Avenue

Shaftesbury Avenue is a major street in London, England, named after Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, that runs in a north-easterly direction from Piccadilly Circus to New Oxford Street, crossing Charing Cross Road at Cambridge Circus, London....
, London, in the presence of King George V

George V of the United Kingdom

George V was the first British monarch belonging to the House of Windsor, which he created from the British branch of the German House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha....
and Queen Mary

Mary of Teck

Mary of Teck was the queen consort of George V of the United Kingdom, Emperor of India. Before her husband's accession, she was successively Duchess of York, Duchess of Cornwall and Princess of Wales....
. The king said he would attend a once-yearly variety show, provided the profits went to the Variety Artistes' Benevolent Fund, as the EABF was then known. This first staging was a lavish occasion, and the theatre was decorated with 3 million rose

Rose

A rose is a perennial plant flower shrub or vine of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species and comes in a variety of colors....
s draped around the auditorium and over the boxes.

The organisers did not invite Marie Lloyd

Marie Lloyd

Matilda Alice Victoria Wood was an England music hall singer, best known as Marie Lloyd....
, one of the most famous music hall

Music hall

Music hall is a form of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to# A particular form of variety show entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and #Speciality Acts....
artists of the time, because of a professional dispute. Her act was considered too risque and her three public, unsuccessful marriages deemed her unfit to perform in front of royalty. She held a rival performance in a nearby theatre, which she advertised was "by command of the British public". The name of the event was changed to prevent possible royal embarrassment. The Royal Variety became an annual event at the suggestion of King George V from 1921.

Further performances

The show was frequently staged in the London Palladium

London Palladium

The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster....
theatre, and in the 1950s and 1960s a television show based on the same idea, called Sunday Night at the London Palladium
Sunday Night at the London Palladium

Sunday Night at the London Palladium was a United Kingdom television variety show made by Associated Television Network for the ITV network, originally running from 1955 to 1967, with a brief revival in 1973 and 1974....
and hosted by many entertainers including Bruce Forsyth

Bruce Forsyth

'Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson' Order of the British Empire is a British people BAFTA award-winning showman and entertainer, who achieved celebrity status on the series Sunday Night at the London Palladium, and became a household name in the UK, going on to present the television series The Generation Game, Play Your Cards Right, ...
, ran for over 20 years. Television coverage of the royal show itself traditionally alternates each year between the BBC and ITV.

Almost every conceivable sort of act has at one time or another been presented to the monarch at the Royal Command Performance, including The Beatles

The Beatles

The Beatles were a rock music and pop music band from Liverpool, England that formed in 1960. During their career, the group primarily consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr ....
in 1963, The Supremes

The Supremes

The Supremes, an American girl group, were one of the signature acts on Motown Records during the 1960s. Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, Michigan in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop music, soul music, Broadway theatre show tunes, psychedelic soul and disco....
in 1968 and The Blue Man Group in 2005. At the Beatles' show on November 4 1963, John Lennon

John Lennon

John Winston Ono Lennon, Order of the British Empire was an English Rock music musician, singer, songwriter, artist, and peace activist who gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles....
delivered a line to the well-heeled audience which has passed into legend: "For our last number I'd like to ask your help: Will the people in the cheaper seats clap your hands? And the rest of you, if you'll just rattle your jewellery ..."

The money raised by the Royal Variety Performance provides most of the funding for Entertainment Artistes Benevolent Fund and its home, Brinsworth House

Brinsworth House

Brinsworth House is a retirement home especially for members of the acting and entertainment professions, in Twickenham, Greater London, England....
, a home for retired members of the entertainment profession and their dependants.

List of performances

Where no town or city is noted in the venue column in the following table, it means that the venue is situated in London.

Date	Venue	Compère	Acts	Other
30 September 1958	Alhambra Theatre, Glasgow	Not Known	Not Known	The first RVP to be staged in Scotland
22 May 1960	Victoria Palace Theatre Victoria Palace Theatre The Victoria Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in Victoria Street, London, in the City of Westminster, opposite London Victoria station....	Bruce Forsyth Bruce Forsyth 'Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson' Order of the British Empire is a British people BAFTA award-winning showman and entertainer, who achieved celebrity status on the series Sunday Night at the London Palladium, and became a household name in the UK, going on to present the television series The Generation Game, Play Your Cards Right, ...	Max Bygraves Max Bygraves Max Bygraves Officer of the Order of the British Empire is an English people singer-songwriter. He appeared on his own television shows, sometimes performing comedy sketches between songs.... , Nat King Cole Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an United States musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist.... , Russ Conway Russ Conway For the Canada/United States actor of the same name, see Russ Conway .Russ Conway , was a popular music pianist. Conway's piano instrumentals dominated the UK Singles Chart during 1959, including two Chart-topper hit record.... , Billy Cotton and his Band Billy Cotton William Edward Cotton , better known as Billy Cotton, was a United Kingdom band leader and entertainer, one of the few whose orchestras survived the dance band era.... , The Crazy Gang The Crazy Gang The Crazy Gang were a group of United Kingdom Entertainment, formed in the early 1930s. They achieved great national popularity and were a favourite of the British Royal Family, especially King George VI of the United Kingdom.... , Sonia Rees, Sammy Davis Jr, Lonnie Donegan Lonnie Donegan Lonnie Donegan Order of the British Empire was a skiffle musician, possibly the most famous of them all, with more than 20 UK Top 30 hits to his name.... , Diana Dors Diana Dors Diana Dors was an English actress and sex symbol.She was born Diana Mary Fluck in Swindon, England and was educated at Colville House in Swindon.... , Jimmy Edwards Jimmy Edwards Jimmy Edwards Distinguished Flying Cross was an England comedic script writer and comedy actor on both radio and television, best known as Pa Glum in Take It From Here and as the headmaster 'Professor' James Edwards in Whack-O!.... , Adam Faith Adam Faith Terence Nelhams-Wright, known as Adam Faith was an United Kingdom singer, actor and financial journalist. Teen idol turned top actor then financial wizard, Faith was one of the most record chart musician of the 1960s.... , Bud Flanagan Bud Flanagan Bud Flanagan was a popular England wartime entertainer, born Chaim Reuben Weintrop in Whitechapel, in the East End of London.Early life... , Benny Hill Benny Hill Alfred Hawthorne "Benny" Hill , was an England comedian, actor and singer, best known for his television programme The Benny Hill Show.... , Robert Horton Robert Horton Sir Robert Horton is a British businessman. He is a Director of the European Advisory Council and of Emerson Electric Company. He spent 30 years working for BP, formerly British Petroleum.... , Frankie Howerd Frankie Howerd Frankie Howerd Order of the British Empire , was a distinctive England comedian and comic actor whose career spanned six decades.... , Hattie Jacques Hattie Jacques Josephine Edwina Jaques was an English comedy actress, known by the stage name Hattie Jacques.Having started her career in the 1940s, Jacques first gained attention through her appearances with Tony Hancock in The Tony Hancock Show and Hancock's Half Hour.... , Liberace Liberace Wladziu Valentino Liberace , better known by only his last name Liberace , was a famous United States entertainer and pianist of Poles and Italian people descent.... , Vera Lynn Vera Lynn Dame Vera Lynn Order of the British Empire is a popular United Kingdom vocalist whose career flourished during World War II, when she was nicknamed "Forces Sweetheart".... , Bob Monkhouse Bob Monkhouse Robert Alan Monkhouse Order of the British Empire was an England entertainer. He was a successful comedy writer, comedian and actor and was also well known on British television as a presenter and game show host.... , Cliff Richard & The Shadows, The Tiller Girls, Norman Wisdom Norman Wisdom Sir Norman J Wisdom, Order of the British Empire is an England former comedian, singer and actor.... and Harry Worth Harry Worth Harry Worth was an England comedy actor. His standard performance was as a genial, bumbling middle-class and middle-aged man from the North of England, who reduced all who came into contact with him to a state of confusion and frustration....	Held in the presence of the HM The Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom Elizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known as the Commonwealth realms: Monarchy of the United Kingdom, Monarchy of Canada, Monarchy of Australia, Monarchy of New Zealand, Monarchy of Jamaica, Monarchy of Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Monarchy of the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Sain... and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom since 20 November 1947, and her prince consort since 6 February 1952.... . ATV Associated TeleVision Associated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a United Kingdom television company, holder of various licenses to broadcast on the ITV network from 1955 until 31 December 1981.... television presentation by Bill Ward
12 November 1961	Prince of Wales Theatre Prince of Wales Theatre The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre on Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in the City of Westminster. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner....	Bruce Forsyth Bruce Forsyth 'Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson' Order of the British Empire is a British people BAFTA award-winning showman and entertainer, who achieved celebrity status on the series Sunday Night at the London Palladium, and became a household name in the UK, going on to present the television series The Generation Game, Play Your Cards Right, ...	Acker Bilk Acker Bilk Acker Bilk Order of the British Empire , born Bernard Stanley Bilk , is a clarinetist. He is known for his trademark goatee, bowler hat, striped waistcoat and his breathy, vibrato-rich, lower-register clarinet style.... , Kenny Ball Kenny Ball Kenneth Daniel Ball is a United Kingdom jazz musician, best known as the lead trumpet player in Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen.... & The Temperance Seven The Temperance Seven The Temperance Seven were a United Kingdom Jazz band specializing in 1920s-style jazz music.... , Dame Shirley Bassey, Jack Benny Jack Benny Jack Benny was an American comedian, vaudeville, and actor for radio programming, television, and film.Widely recognized as one of the leading American entertainers of the 20th century, Benny was known for his comic timing and his ability to get laughs with either a pregnant pause or a single expression, such as his signature exasperated "... , George Burns George Burns George Burns was an United States comedy, actor, and comedy writer.His career spanned vaudeville, film, radio, and television, with and without his wife, Gracie Allen.... , Lionel Blair Lionel Blair Lionel Blair is a United Kingdom actor, choreographer, tap dancing and television presenter.Lionel Blair is the son of Myer Ogus and Deborah Greenbaum.... , Max Bygraves Max Bygraves Max Bygraves Officer of the Order of the British Empire is an English people singer-songwriter. He appeared on his own television shows, sometimes performing comedy sketches between songs.... , Maurice Chevalier Maurice Chevalier Maurice Auguste Chevalier was a French actor, singer, and popular entertainer. Chevalier's signature songs included "Louise", "Mimi", and "Valentine".... , The Crazy Gang The Crazy Gang The Crazy Gang were a group of United Kingdom Entertainment, formed in the early 1930s. They achieved great national popularity and were a favourite of the British Royal Family, especially King George VI of the United Kingdom.... , Sammy Davis Jr, Arthur Haynes Arthur Haynes Arthur Haynes... , The McGuire Sisters The McGuire Sisters The McGuire Sisters were a singing trio in United States popular music. The group was composed of three sisters; Christine McGuire , Dorothy McGuire , and Phyllis McGuire .... , Morecambe and Wise Morecambe and Wise Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as *Morecambe and Wise, were a British comic double act, working in Variety show, radio, film and most successfully in television.... , Nina & Frederik Nina & Frederik Nina and Frederik* were a Denmark traditional popular music singing duet of the late 1950s and early 1960s. The duo consisted of Frederik, Baron van Pallandt and his wife at the time Nina baroness van Pallandt.... , Andy Stewart Andy Stewart (musician) Andy Stewart MBE was a Scottish people singer and entertainer.... and Frankie Vaughan Frankie Vaughan Frankie Vaughan, Order of the British Empire Deputy Lieutenant was a singer of traditional pop music in the United Kingdom, who issued more than 80 sound recording and reproduction in his lifetime....	Held in the presence of HM The Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom Elizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known as the Commonwealth realms: Monarchy of the United Kingdom, Monarchy of Canada, Monarchy of Australia, Monarchy of New Zealand, Monarchy of Jamaica, Monarchy of Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Monarchy of the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Sain... and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was the Queen Consort of King George VI of the United Kingdom and the British Empire Dominions from 1936 until his death in 1952.... . ATV Associated TeleVision Associated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a United Kingdom television company, holder of various licenses to broadcast on the ITV network from 1955 until 31 December 1981.... television presentation by Bill Ward
29 April 1962	The London Palladium	Norman Vaughan Norman Vaughan (comedian) Norman Vaughan was an comedian who led a long and successful career in the television and theatre, appearing occasionally in the Film....	The Black and White Minstrels, Rudy Cardenas, Rosemary Clooney Rosemary Clooney Rosemary Clooney was an United States singer and actor. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the novelty hit "Come On-a My House", which was followed by other pop numbers "Botch-a-Me " , "Mambo Italiano ", and "This Ole House", songs which tended to obscure her talents as a jazz vocalist.... , Dickie Henderson Dickie Henderson Dickie Henderson OBE was born in London. His father, Dick Henderson, born in Hull, Yorkshire was a Music Hall comedian and singer famous for his short, rotund appearance, bowler hat and beautiful singing voice.... , Bob Hope Bob Hope Bob Hope, Order of the British Empire, Order of St. Gregory the Great , was an British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway theatre, and in radio, television and movies.... , Edie Adams Edie Adams Edie Adams was an United States singer, Broadway theatre, television and film actress and comedienne. Adams, a Tony Award winner, "both embodied and winked at the stereotypes of fetching chanteuse and sexpot blonde."... , Frank Ifield Frank Ifield Frank Ifield is an Australian-English people easy listening and country music singing. An early 1960s superstar, this pop music singing/Yodeling had four chart-topper hit record in 12 months with revivals of United States Traditional pop music.... , Eartha Kitt Eartha Kitt Eartha Mae Kitt was an American actor, singer, and cabaret star. She was perhaps best known for her 1953 Christmas song "Santa Baby". Orson Welles once called her the "most exciting woman in the world." She took over the role of Catwoman for the third season of the 1960s Batman television series, replacing Julie Newmar, who was unavaila... , Cleo Laine Cleo Laine Dame Cleo Laine Order of British Empire is a jazz singer and an actor, noted for her scat singing.She is the only female performer to have received Grammy nominations in the jazz, popular music and European classical music categories.... , Johnny Dankworth, Cliff Richard & The Shadows, Harry Secombe Harry Secombe Sir Harry Donald Secombe, Order of the British Empire was a Wales entertainer with a noted fine tenor singing voice and a talent for comedy. He is best known for playing Neddie Seagoon, a major character on the Goon Show, a popular BBC radio comedy.... , Andy Stewart Andy Stewart (musician) Andy Stewart MBE was a Scottish people singer and entertainer.... , Sophie Tucker Sophie Tucker Sophie Tucker was a singer and comedian, one of the most popular entertainers in America during the first two-thirds of the 20th century.She was born Sonia Kalish to a Jewish family in Tsarist Russia.... and Mike & Bernie Winters Mike & Bernie Winters Mike & Bernie Winters, born Michael Weinstein and Bernard Weinstein , were two English brothers who formed a comedy double act. The act was very popular in the United Kingdom from the mid-1950s to the early 1970s....	Held in the presence of the HM The Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom Elizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known as the Commonwealth realms: Monarchy of the United Kingdom, Monarchy of Canada, Monarchy of Australia, Monarchy of New Zealand, Monarchy of Jamaica, Monarchy of Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Monarchy of the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Sain... and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom since 20 November 1947, and her prince consort since 6 February 1952.... . BBC television presentation by Duncan Wood Duncan Wood Duncan Wood, was a comedy producer, director and writer in UK. His best known achievements were to produce all of Tony Hancock Hancock's Half Hour for BBC TV during the late 1950s and early 1960s, and later, also with Hancock's former writers Galton and Simpson, the classic United Kingdom sitcom Steptoe and Son for most of its run....
4 November 1963	Prince of Wales Theatre Prince of Wales Theatre The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre on Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in the City of Westminster. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner....	Not Known	The Beatles The Beatles The Beatles were a rock music and pop music band from Liverpool, England that formed in 1960. During their career, the group primarily consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr .... , Wilfrid Brambell Wilfrid Brambell Wilfrid Brambell was an Ireland film and television actor, born in Dublin, best known for his role in the United Kingdom television series Steptoe and Son.... , The Clark Brothers The Clark Brothers The Clark Brothers are an American country music trio composed of three brothers with the surname Clark: Adam , Ashley , and Austin . All three brothers, along with their three other brothers Aaron, Andrew, and Alan, originally comprised a sextet called The Clark Family Experience, which recorded one album for Curb Records in 2002 and charted... , Harry H. Corbett Harry H. Corbett Harry H. Corbett Order of the British Empire was an England actor.Corbett was best known for his starring role in the hugely popular and long-running BBC Television sitcom Steptoe and Son in the 1960s and 70s.... , Marlene Dietrich Marlene Dietrich Marlene Dietrich ; was a German-born American actress, singer and entertainer.Dietrich remained popular throughout her long career by continually re-inventing herself.... , Michael Flanders Michael Flanders Michael Henry Flanders Order of the British Empire, was an England actor, Broadcast journalism, and writer and performer of Novelty song. He is best known to the general public for his partnership with Donald Swann performing as the double act Flanders and Swann.... , Donald Swann Donald Swann Donald Ibrah?m Swann was a United Kingdom composer, musician and entertainer. He is best known to the general public for his partnership of writing and performing Novelty song with Michael Flanders .... , Buddy Greco Buddy Greco Buddy Greco is an United States singer and pianist.Greco began playing piano at the age of four. His first professional work was playing with Benny Goodman's band.... , Dickie Henderson Dickie Henderson Dickie Henderson OBE was born in London. His father, Dick Henderson, born in Hull, Yorkshire was a Music Hall comedian and singer famous for his short, rotund appearance, bowler hat and beautiful singing voice.... , Joe Loss Joe Loss Joshua Alexander Loss or Joe Loss OBE was an England musician and founder of The Joe Loss Orchestra, a light orchestra.... , Susan Maughan Susan Maughan Susan Maughan is an English people singer who released a series of reasonably successful single in the 1960s.... , Nadia Nerina Nadia Nerina Nadia Nerina was a South African ballerina. She moved to England and joined the Birmingham Royal Ballet, where she became a prima ballerina at the age of 25.... , Los Paraguayos Los Paraguayos Los Paraguayos is a music group consisting of musicians from Paraguay. Since its foundation in the 1950's, the group has featured many singers and musicians, playing guitars, bongo drums and a Paraguayan harp, including Luis Alberto del Paran? and Carlos Espinoza.... , Pinky and Perky Pinky and Perky *Pinky and Perky* is an animation children's television series first broadcast by the BBC in 1957, revived in 2008 as a CGI animation.... , Harry Secombe Harry Secombe Sir Harry Donald Secombe, Order of the British Empire was a Wales entertainer with a noted fine tenor singing voice and a talent for comedy. He is best known for playing Neddie Seagoon, a major character on the Goon Show, a popular BBC radio comedy.... , Tommy Steele Tommy Steele Tommy Steele Order of the British Empire is an England entertainer. Steele is widely regarded as Britain's first teen idol and rock 'n' roll star.... , Eric Sykes Eric Sykes Eric Sykes, Order of the British Empire is an England comedy writer and actor. He is known for his BBC television sitcom with Hattie Jacques and Deryck Guyler, called Sykes.... and Hattie Jacques Hattie Jacques Josephine Edwina Jaques was an English comedy actress, known by the stage name Hattie Jacques.Having started her career in the 1940s, Jacques first gained attention through her appearances with Tony Hancock in The Tony Hancock Show and Hancock's Half Hour.... - Also the West End West End theatre West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's "Theatreland". Along with New York City's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English language world.... casts of Half a Sixpence Half a Sixpence *Half a Sixpence* is a musical comedy written as a Star vehicle for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland pop star Tommy Steele.... and Pickwick Pickwick (musical) *Pickwick* was a musical theatre, based on Charles Dickens's The Pickwick Papers, which opened on July 4, 1963. The original performances took place in the Saville Theatre, in London, England....	Held in the presence of HM The Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom Elizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known as the Commonwealth realms: Monarchy of the United Kingdom, Monarchy of Canada, Monarchy of Australia, Monarchy of New Zealand, Monarchy of Jamaica, Monarchy of Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Monarchy of the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Sain... and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was the Queen Consort of King George VI of the United Kingdom and the British Empire Dominions from 1936 until his death in 1952.... . ATV Associated TeleVision Associated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a United Kingdom television company, holder of various licenses to broadcast on the ITV network from 1955 until 31 December 1981.... television presentation by Bill Ward
8 November 1964	The London Palladium	David Jacobs David Jacobs David William Jacobs , was a United Kingdom athletics ....	The Bachelors The Bachelors The Bachelors is a popular music band , originating from Dublin, Ireland.... , Cilla Black Cilla Black Cilla Black Order of the British Empire is an England singer-songwriter and television personality. After a successful recording career, she went on to become the highest paid female presenter in British television history.... , Tommy Cooper Tommy Cooper Tommy Cooper was an British people prop comedian and magic . He was known for making an art of getting magic tricks wrong, although he was actually an accomplished magician.... , Gil Dova, Gracie Fields Gracie Fields Dame Gracie Fields, Order of the British Empire , born Grace Stansfield, was an England/Italy singer and comedienne who became one of the greatest stars of both film and music hall.... , Lena Horne Lena Horne Lena Mary Calhoun Horne is an American singer and actress. She has recorded and performed extensively, independently and with other jazz notables, including Artie Shaw, Teddy Wilson, Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington, Charlie Barnet, Benny Carter, and Billy Eckstine.... , Kathy Kirby Kathy Kirby Kathy Kirby is a retired England singer, whose popularity was at its peak during the 1960s.... , Brenda Lee Brenda Lee Brenda Lee is an United States country music-pop music singer popular during the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1960s she had more US charted hits than any other female and only three male singers or groups .... , Millicent Martin Millicent Martin Millicent Mary Lillian Martin is an English actress, singer and comedian.Martin was born in Romford, England. She made her Broadway theatre debut opposite Julie Andrews in The Boy Friend in 1954.... , Morecambe & Wise, Bob Newhart Bob Newhart George Robert "Bob" Newhart is an United States Stand-up comedy and actor who is best known for playing psychologist Dr. Robert "Bob" Hartley on the popular 1970s sitcom The Bob Newhart Show and as innkeeper Dick Loudon on the popular 1980s sitcom Newhart.... , Ralph Reader's Gang Show Ralph Reader W. H. Ralph Reader born May 25 1903 in Crewkerne, Somerset, United Kingdom died May 13, 1982 at Bourne End, Buckinghamshire.Awarded Order of the British Empire and Order of the British Empire for service in Royal Air Force Intelligence.... , Cliff Richard & The Shadows, Dennis Spicer, Jimmy Tarbuck Jimmy Tarbuck Jimmy Tarbuck Order of the British Empire is an English comedian, and the father of actress and television presenter Liza Tarbuck. He attended the same school as John Lennon and newscaster Peter Sissons.... and The Tiller Girls	Held in the presence of HM The Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom Elizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known as the Commonwealth realms: Monarchy of the United Kingdom, Monarchy of Canada, Monarchy of Australia, Monarchy of New Zealand, Monarchy of Jamaica, Monarchy of Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Monarchy of the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Sain... . BBC television production by Duncan Wood Duncan Wood Duncan Wood, was a comedy producer, director and writer in UK. His best known achievements were to produce all of Tony Hancock Hancock's Half Hour for BBC TV during the late 1950s and early 1960s, and later, also with Hancock's former writers Galton and Simpson, the classic United Kingdom sitcom Steptoe and Son for most of its run.... .
14 November 1965	The London Palladium	Not Known	Dame Shirley Bassey, Tony Bennett Tony Bennett Tony Bennett is an United States singer of traditional pop music, pop standards and jazz.Raised in New York City, Bennett began singing at an early age.... , Jack Benny, Max Bygraves Max Bygraves Max Bygraves Officer of the Order of the British Empire is an English people singer-songwriter. He appeared on his own television shows, sometimes performing comedy sketches between songs.... , The Carmenas, The Dave Clark Five The Dave Clark Five The Dave Clark Five were an England pop rock group. It was the second group of the British Invasion, after The Beatles, to have a record chart hit record in the United States .... , Peter Cook Peter Cook Peter Edward Cook was an English people satirist, writer and comedian. He is widely regarded as the leading figure in the British satire boom of the 1960s.... , Ken Dodd Ken Dodd Kenneth Arthur Dodd Order of the British Empire is a veteran England comedian and singer songwriter, famous for selling over 100 million records, his buck teeth, frizzy hair, feather duster , and his catchphrases, often playing on the 'tickled' motif, ex: "How tickled I am!".... , Johnny Halliday, Arthur Haynes Arthur Haynes Arthur Haynes... , Hope and Keen, Frank Ifield Frank Ifield Frank Ifield is an Australian-English people easy listening and country music singing. An early 1960s superstar, this pop music singing/Yodeling had four chart-topper hit record in 12 months with revivals of United States Traditional pop music.... , The Kaye Sisters The Kaye Sisters The Kaye Sisters were a musical trio of United Kingdom traditional popular music singing, who scored several hit record on the UK Singles Chart in the late 1950s and early 1960s.... , Neville King, Spike Milligan Spike Milligan Terence Alan Patrick Se?n Milligan KBE , known as Spike Milligan, was an England-Ireland comedian, writer, musician, poet and playwright.... , Dudley Moore Dudley Moore Dudley Stuart John Moore Order of the British Empire was an English people actor, comedian and musician.Moore first came to prominence as one of the four writer-performers in Beyond the Fringe in the early 1960s and became famous as half of the hugely popular television double-act he formed with Peter Cook.... , Peter, Paul and Mary Peter, Paul and Mary Peter, Paul and Mary are a musical group from the United States who were one of the most successful folk song groups of the 1960s. The trio is composed of Peter Yarrow, Noel Stookey and Mary Travers .... , Peter Sellers Peter Sellers 'Richard Henry Sellers', Order of British Empire, commonly known as 'Peter Sellers' was a United Kingdom comedian and actor best known for his roles in Dr.... , Dusty Springfield Dusty Springfield Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien, Officer of the Order of the British Empire , known as Dusty Springfield, was a leading pop music singer and entertainer.... and Sylvie Vartan Sylvie Vartan Sylvie Vartan is a France pop singer.Sylvie Vartan was one of the first rock'n'roll girls in France. She was the most productive and active artist of the y?-y? girls, being considered as the toughest-sounding of her genre....	Held in the presence of the HM The Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom Elizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known as the Commonwealth realms: Monarchy of the United Kingdom, Monarchy of Canada, Monarchy of Australia, Monarchy of New Zealand, Monarchy of Jamaica, Monarchy of Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Monarchy of the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Sain... and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom since 20 November 1947, and her prince consort since 6 February 1952.... . ATV Associated TeleVision Associated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a United Kingdom television company, holder of various licenses to broadcast on the ITV network from 1955 until 31 December 1981.... television presentation by Bill Ward
20 November 1966	The London Palladium	Des O'Connor Des O'Connor Desmond Bernard O'Connor, Order of the British Empire is a England television personality and singer. A former talkshow host, he was the presenter of the long running Channel 4 gameshow Countdown until late-2008....	The Bachelors, Bal Caron Trio, Gilbert Bécaud Gilbert Bécaud Gilbert B?caud was a France singer, composer and actor, known as Monsieur 100,000 Volts for his energetic performances. His best-known hit record are "Nathalie" and "Et Maintenant", a 1961 release that became an English language hit as "What Now My Love ".... , Sammy Davis, Jr. Sammy Davis, Jr. Samuel George ?Sammy? Davis, Jr. was an United States entertainer. He was a dancer, singer, multi-instrumentalist , Impressionist , comedian, convert to Judaism, and Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor.... , Jack Douglas Jack Douglas (actor) Jack Douglas, born Jack Roberton was an England actor most famous for his roles in the Carry On films.... , Hugh Forgie, Christopher Gable Christopher Gable Christopher Gable was an England Ballet, Choreography, and actor.Born in London, Gable studied at the Royal Ballet School. He joined the touring section of the The Royal Ballet in 1957, became a soloist in 1959, and a principal in 1961.... , Nadia Nerina Nadia Nerina Nadia Nerina was a South African ballerina. She moved to England and joined the Birmingham Royal Ballet, where she became a prima ballerina at the age of 25.... , Juliette Greco Juliette Gréco Juliette Gr?co is a France actor and popular chanson singer.... , Frankie Howerd Frankie Howerd Frankie Howerd Order of the British Empire , was a distinctive England comedian and comic actor whose career spanned six decades.... , Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, producer, writer, director and singer. He is best-known for his slapstick humor on stage, screen and television, his singing ability in a string of music album recordings and his charity fund-raising telethons for the Muscular Dystrophy Association .... , Kenneth McKellar Kenneth McKellar (singer) Kenneth McKellar is a Scottish people tenor singing.... , Henry Mancini Henry Mancini Henry Mancini was an Academy Award winning American composer, Conducting and arranger. He is remembered particularly for being a composer of film and television scores.... , Marvo & Dolores, Matt Monro Matt Monro Matt Monro was an English people singer who became one of the most popular entertainers on the international music scene during the 1960s. Throughout his 30-year career, he filled cabarets, nightclubs, music halls, and stadiums in Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and Hong Kong to Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas.... , Wayne Newton Wayne Newton Carson Wayne Newton is an United States singer and entertainer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was born in Roanoke, Virginia. While Newton was still a child, his family moved to a home near Newark, Ohio.... , The Pietro Brothers, Gene Pitney Gene Pitney Gene Francis Alan Pitney was an American singer-songwriter. He was also an accomplished guitarist, piano, drummer and skilled sound engineer. In 2002, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.... , The Seekers The Seekers The Seekers were a group of Australian folk music-influenced pop music musicians that was formed in Melbourne in 1962. They were the first Australian popular music group to achieve significant chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the United States.... and Tommy Steele Tommy Steele Tommy Steele Order of the British Empire is an England entertainer. Steele is widely regarded as Britain's first teen idol and rock 'n' roll star....	Held in the presence of the Queen and the Queen Mother. BBC television presentation by Bill Cotton Bill Cotton Sir William Frederick "Bill" Cotton Order of the British Empire , was a British television producer and corporate officer, and the son of big-band leader Billy Cotton.... with introduction by David Jacobs David Jacobs David William Jacobs , was a United Kingdom athletics ....

2007

Date	Broadcast	Venue	Compère	Acts	Other
Monday 3rd December 2007	Sunday 9th December 2007 ITV 1	Liverpool Empire Theatre Liverpool Empire Theatre Liverpool Empire Theatre is located on Lime Street in Liverpool, England. It is the largest theatre in Liverpool, and the largest two tier theatre in the country....	Phillip Schofield Phillip Schofield Phillip Schofield is a United Kingdom Presenter.... and Kate Thornton Kate Thornton Kate Louise Thornton is an England journalist and television presenter, most famous for being the first host of The X Factor , and best known internationally for her coverage of the Concert for Diana....	Bon Jovi Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an United States hard rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Fronted by lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi, the group originally achieved large-scale success in the 1980s.... , Kiri Te Kanawa Kiri Te Kanawa Dame Kiri Janette Te Kanawa, Order of New Zealand, Order of the British Empire, Order of Australia, is a New Zealand soprano who had a highly successful international opera career between 1968-2004.... , James Blunt James Blunt James Blunt is an England Acoustic music folk pop singer-songwriter whose debut album, Back to Bedlam, and single releases, especially "You're Beautiful", brought him to fame in 2005.... , Joan Rivers Joan Rivers Joan Rivers is an United States comedian, actress, talk show Host , and businesswoman. She is known for her brash manner and loud, raspy voice with a heavy New York dialect.... , Teatro Teatro Teatro may refer to:* Theatre* Teatro , musical act signed to Sony BMG* Teatro , 1998 studio album by Willie Nelson... , Viva la Diva Viva la Diva Viva la Diva was a four-piece Atlanta-based rock band fronted by Cooper Seay, formerly of the Ellen James Society. The other members were bassist Jan Dykes , guitarist Candi Jiosne, and drummer Wayne Glass.... , Enrique Iglesias Enrique Iglesias Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler , better known as Enrique Iglesias, is a Spain singer-songwriter, model, and actor.Iglesias started his musical career with Mexico indie label Fonovisa, which helped turn him into one of the most popular artists in Latin America and in the Hispanic and Latino Americans market in the United States, sell... , Katherine Jenkins Katherine Jenkins Katherine Jenkins is an award-winning Welsh mezzo-soprano. Her first album Premiere made her the fastest-selling mezzo-soprano to date and she later became the first British classical artist to have two number one albums in the same year.... , Al Murray Al Murray Alastair James Hay "Al" Murray , is a United Kingdom comedian best known for his Stand-up comedy persona, "The Pub Landlord," a stereotypical xenophobic public house licensee, and indeed earlier in his career he performed in pubs.... , Darcey Bussell Darcey Bussell Darcey Andrea Bussell Order of the British Empire is an England dancer and former Ballerina of The Royal Ballet, a major international ballet company based in London, England.... , Dany & Edina, Paul Potts Paul Potts Paul Robert Potts is a United Kingdom tenor who in 2007 became the winner of the first series of ITV's Britain's Got Talent, singing an operatic aria, "Nessun Dorma" from Turandot.... , Stephen K. Amos Stephen K. Amos Stephen K. Amos is a United Kingdom stand-up comedian. A regular on the London comedy circuit, he is also a compere.He has attended the Edinburgh Fringe Festival every year since his debut solo show in 2001.... , Philip Achille, The English National Ballet, Jimmy Tarbuck Jimmy Tarbuck Jimmy Tarbuck Order of the British Empire is an English comedian, and the father of actress and television presenter Liza Tarbuck. He attended the same school as John Lennon and newscaster Peter Sissons.... , Lang Lang Lang Lang Lang Lang could refer to:* Lang Lang , a Chinese pianist* Lang Lang, Victoria, Australian townExcess long comment to prevent listing on... , Raymond Crowe Raymond Crowe Raymond Crowe is an Australian mime artist, magician and cabaret performer. Originally from Adelaide, Raymond Crowe describes himself as Australia's only Unusualist.... , David Jordan David Jordan David Jordan may refer to:David K. Jordan, Professor Emeritus at University of California, San Diego David Jordan , British singer* David Starr Jordan, president of Indiana University and Stanford University... , Big Howard,Little Howard, Russell Brand Russell Brand Russell Edward Brand is an England comedian, actor, columnist and presenter of radio presenter and television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK for presenting a Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth, and for his The Russell Brand Show , among other television series and award ceremonies.... , Seal Seal Seal may refer to:... , Natasha Day, Take That Take That Take That are an England pop music musical group consisting of members Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen, and, formerly, Robbie Williams.... and The Cast of Hairspray Hairspray (musical) *Hairspray* is a musical theatre with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan , based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray ....	80th Anniversary - Was held in the presence of HM Queen Elizabeth II & HRH The Duke of Edinburgh K.G.K.T Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom since 20 November 1947, and her prince consort since 6 February 1952.... . The performance was televised on 9th December and was produced for ITV ITV ITV is a public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom television network of British television broadcasters, set up under the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC.... by Executive Producer Sue Andrews and Mark Wells, Producer Glen Middleham and Director Simon Staffurth.

2008

Date	Broadcast	Venue	Compère	Acts	Other
Thursday 11 December 2008	Wednesday 17 December 2008 BBC1 7:30-10:00pm	The London Palladium	Tess Daly Tess Daly Helen Elizabeth Tess Daly , is a British television presenter, and is married to the presenter Vernon Kay.... , Graham Norton Graham Norton Graham William Walker is an Irish people actor, comedian and television presenter. He is known by his stage name Graham Norton.... , Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, Emma Bunton Emma Bunton Emma Lee Bunton is an English pop music singer, songwriter, and occasional actor. Bunton is best known for being a member of the successful '90s girl group, the Spice Girls, in which she was known as "Baby Spice" as she was the youngest member and often wore revealing "babydoll" dresses.... , Matthew Horne Matthew Horne Matthew Jeffery Horne is a New Zealand cricketer who played in 35 Test cricket and 50 One Day Internationals from 1997 - 2003.Horne was an attacking right-handed opening batsman who possessed an unusually high backlift.... , James Corden James Corden James Kimberly Corden is a BAFTA-winning England actor, comedian, writer and television producer. He co-created and stars in the BBC One/BBC Three comedy Gavin & Stacey.... , Tom Daley, Myleene Klass Myleene Klass Myleene Angela Klass is an England actress, singer, Model , pianist, radio presenter and television presenter presenter, formerly a member of the short-lived UK pop music band Hear'Say.... , Jimmy Tarbuck Jimmy Tarbuck Jimmy Tarbuck Order of the British Empire is an English comedian, and the father of actress and television presenter Liza Tarbuck. He attended the same school as John Lennon and newscaster Peter Sissons.... , Craig Revel Horwood Craig Revel Horwood Craig Revel Horwood is an Australian dancing, choreography, and theatre director in the United Kingdom.... , Arlene Phillips Arlene Phillips Arlene Phillips Order of the British Empire is an United Kingdom choreographer, talent scout and former dancer, who has worked in many fields of entertainment.... , Len Goodman Len Goodman Leonard Gordon "Len" Goodman is a United Kingdom professional dance judge and teacher and former dancer. He runs a ballroom dancing and Latin dancing school in Dartford, Kent, United Kingdom.... , Bruno Tonioli Bruno Tonioli Bruno Tonioli is an Italy-born United Kingdom dancer and professional choreographer. He was born and raised in Ferrara, Italy. He is the son of Werther, a bus driver, and Fulvia, a seamstress.... , Josh Hartnett Josh Hartnett Joshua Daniel Hartnett is an American actor. He came to fame after his first film role, in 1998's Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, and as Matt Eversmann in the true story Black Hawk Down , alongside Ewan McGregor, William Fichtner, and Eric Bana.... , Rebecca Adlington Rebecca Adlington Rebecca Adlington Order of the British Empire is a British freestyle swimming swimmer. She won two gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in the Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Women's 400 metre freestyle and Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Women's 800 metre freestyle, breaking the 19 year-old world record of Janet Evans in the... , Brendan Fraser Brendan Fraser Brendan James Fraser is a Canadian-American actor of theatre and film. He has starred in many major Hollywood films, including The Mummy film series, Dudley Do-Right , Looney Tunes: Back in Action, George of the Jungle and Journey to the Center of the Earth .... , Christine Bleakley Christine Bleakley Christine Bleakley is a Northern Irish Presenter known for co-presenting The One Show on BBC One. She took part in BBC's Strictly Come Dancing in 2008.... , Adrian Chiles Adrian Chiles Adrian Chiles is a England television and radio presenter.His journalistic training and love of football have resulted in a career in two streams of broadcasting, fronting general and notably business programmes such as Working Lunch; and sports programmes like Match of the Day 2.... , Connie Fisher Connie Fisher 'Connie Fisher' is a British actress and singer, who won the BBC One talent contest, How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?Fisher was delighted to be named Maria: "I feel on top of the world, thanks very much.... , John Barrowman John Barrowman John Scot Barrowman is a Scottish people-born United States people actor, singer, dancer, Musical theatre and media personality, currently based in England.... , Pete Waterman Pete Waterman Peter Alan Waterman OBE is an England record producer, occasional songwriter, radio and club DJ, television presenter, president of Coventry Bears rugby league club and a keen railway enthusiast.... , Nicky Chapman, Neil Fox Neil Fox Neil Andrew Howe Fox is an England radio and television presenter, known for many years as Dr Fox before he became "Foxy" in the 2000s. He is now known simply as "Neil Fox".... , and Peter Kay Peter Kay 'Peter John Kay' is an England comedian, writer, Film producer, director and actor. His work includes That Peter Kay Thing , Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights , Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere , Peter Kay's Britain's Got the Pop Factor......	Jimmy Carr Jimmy Carr James Anthony Patrick "Jimmy" Carr, Jr. is an England comedian, author, actor and presenter of radio presenter and television presenter, known for his deadpan, satire and often very Black comedy.... , Brian May, Kerry Ellis Kerry Ellis Kerry Ellis is a British stage actress who has starred as Elphaba in the West End theatre and Broadway theatre productions of the musical Wicked .... , John Barrowman John Barrowman John Scot Barrowman is a Scottish people-born United States people actor, singer, dancer, Musical theatre and media personality, currently based in England.... , Josh Groban Josh Groban Joshua Winslow Groban is a Grammy-nominated American singer-songwriter. He has concentrated his career so far mostly in concert singing and recordings, although he has stated that he wishes to pursue musical theater in the future.... , Leona Lewis Leona Lewis Leona Louise Lewis is a UK Pop/R&B artist who was born 3 April 1985 in London. She was the first female winner of the UK reality TV series The X Factor .... , Rhod Gilbert Rhod Gilbert Rhod Gilbert is a Wales comedian who was nominated in 2005 for the Perrier Best Newcomer Award. In 2008, he was nominated for the main if.comedy award.... , Rihanna Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty , known as Rihanna , is a Barbados singer, fashion model, and former beauty queen. She also serves as the cultural ambassador for Barbados.... , Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo is an all-male drag ballet corps parodying the clich?s of romantic and classical ballet. It was co-founded by choreographer Peter Anastos in the United States in 1974 as a group producing small shows for friends, performing late-late shows in off-off Broadway lofts.... , Armstrong & Miller, The Pussycat Dolls, Naturally 7 Naturally 7 Naturally 7 is an United States music group with a distinct a cappella style they call "Vocal Play". They sing primarily R&B with extensive beat-boxing.... , Duffy Duffy (singer) Duffy is a Welsh people, Soul Music, singer-songwriter. Her debut album Rockferry was released in March 2008 and entered the UK Album Chart at number one.... , Take That Take That Take That are an England pop music musical group consisting of members Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen, and, formerly, Robbie Williams.... , Only Men Aloud Last Choir Standing *Last Choir Standing* was a 2008 in television talent show-themed television series produced by the BBC in the United Kingdom. Broadcast on BBC One in July and August 2008, the series saw amateur choirs competing each week to be the 'last choir standing'.... , George Sampson George Sampson George William Sampson is a street dancer from Warrington, England, and was the winner of the second series of Britain's Got Talent on 31 May 2008, aged 14.... , Michael McIntyre Michael McIntyre Michael McIntyre is an English comedian.... , Geraldine McQueen and Cliff Richard & The Shadows - Also the West End West End theatre West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's "Theatreland". Along with New York City's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English language world.... casts of Jersey Boys Jersey Boys *Jersey Boys* is a documentary film-style musical theatre based on the lives of one of the most successful 1960s rock 'n roll groups, The Four Seasons .... , La Cage Aux Folles, The Lion King The Lion King (musical) *The Lion King* is a Tony Award and Laurence Olivier Award-winning Musical theatre based on the The Lion King with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice.... and Zorro Zorro (musical) *Zorro* is a musical theatre with music by the Gipsy Kings and John Cameron, and a book and lyrics by Stephen Clark and Helen Edmundson, based on the 2005 mock biography Zorro: A Novel, the first origin story of the pulp hero Zorro, written by Chilean author Isabel Allende....	80th Anniversary - Was held in the presence of HRH The Prince of Wales Charles, Prince of Wales The Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the eldest child of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, making him heir apparent, equally and separately, to the thrones of Commonwealth realm.... & HRH The Duchess of Cornwall. The performance was televised on 17 December and was produced for the BBC by Executive Producer Nick Vaughan-Barratt, Senior Producer Dominic Smith and Producer Helen Tumbridge.

Britain's Got Talent

Since 2007, one act of the Royal Variety show has been selected by the British public through the ITV1

ITV1

ITV1 is the generic brand used by twelve franchises of the ITV television network in England, Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands....
television talent show

Talent show

A talent show is a live performance spectacle where contestants perform acting, singing, dancing, acrobatics, and other art forms. Talent shows have been around since the beginning of time....
Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent

Britain's Got Talent is a British television show on ITV , and part of the Got Talent series series. Presented by Ant & Dec, it is a search for Britain's next best talent act, featuring singers, dancers, comedians, variety acts, and other talents of all ages....
.

Devised by music and television impresario Simon Cowell

Simon Cowell

Simon Phillip Cowell is an England A&R music executive, television personality/Television producer and entrepreneur, best known as a judge on such TV shows as Pop Idol, American Idol, The X Factor , and Britain's Got Talent....
, the show is produced by his company SYCO

Syco

Syco is a company founded by record executive and television producer Simon Cowell in 2002. It has three departments, Syco TV, Syco Music and Syco Film....
TV. It was originally due to be launched in the UK in 2006, presented by Paul O'Grady

Paul O'Grady

Paul James O'Grady Order of the British Empire is an England comedian and television & radio presenter, who achieved fame as the creator of comic drag character #Lily Savage , a vampish Birkenhead woman....
, however a dispute between ITV and O'Grady caused him to leave the station and the pilot series was cancelled. The format was subsequently launched in America, where the winner receives a deal to perform in Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, Nevada, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and entertainment....
.

The show follows a series of auditions. First of all, there is an audition tour in which the celebrity judging panel of Simon Cowell

Simon Cowell

Amanda Holden

Amanda Louise Holden is an England actor who was well known for her roles as Sarah Trevanion on Wild at Heart. She is also notable for being a judge on Britain's Got Talent....
and Piers Morgan

Piers Morgan

Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan , is a former editing of British tabloid newspapers the News of the World and the Daily Mirror . He is credited as author of eight books and is editorial director of First News , a national newspaper for children....
travel nationwide watching potential acts and picking their favourites. The panel then select the best of these acts to compete in a series of five semi-finals, which are broadcast live on ITV, between Monday and Friday on one week. A public telephone vote

Televoting

Televoting is a method of opinion polling usually conducted by telephone, which incorporates Deliberative democracy principles.A televote is initiated by random sampling of a population by means of random digit dialling....
decides the most popular act in each semi-final, which then progresses to the final, along with a second act chosen by the judges. The grand final is then broadcast live on the Saturday following the semi-finals and all the acts perform again for the public vote. Whilst the judges comment on the performances, the eventual winner is decided entirely by the public.

2007

The winner of the 2007 series was operatic vocalist Paul Potts

Paul Potts

Paul Robert Potts is a United Kingdom tenor who in 2007 became the winner of the first series of ITV's Britain's Got Talent, singing an operatic aria, "Nessun Dorma" from Turandot....
. He performed the aria Nessun Dorma
Nessun dorma

Nessun dorma is an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot, and is one of the best-known tenor arias in all opera....
from the opera Turandot
Turandot

Turandot is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, set to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. Though Puccini's first interest in the subject was based on his reading of Friedrich Schiller's adaptation of the play, his work is most nearly based on the earlier text Turandot by Carlo Gozzi....
for the Queen

Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known as the Commonwealth realms: Monarchy of the United Kingdom, Monarchy of Canada, Monarchy of Australia, Monarchy of New Zealand, Monarchy of Jamaica, Monarchy of Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Monarchy of the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Sain...
at the RVP staged at the Liverpool Empire Theatre

Liverpool Empire Theatre

Liverpool Empire Theatre is located on Lime Street in Liverpool, England. It is the largest theatre in Liverpool, and the largest two tier theatre in the country....
. He also won a £100,000 cash prize and a £1 million multi-album recording contract with Simon Cowell

Simon Cowell

Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
, Australia

Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
, Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located in Southern China in East Asia, bordering the province of Guangdong to the north and facing the South China Sea to the east, west and south....
and Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
.

2008

The winner of the 2008 series was street dancer George Sampson

George Sampson

George William Sampson is a street dancer from Warrington, England, and was the winner of the second series of Britain's Got Talent on 31 May 2008, aged 14....
from Warrington

Warrington

Warrington is a large town, borough status in the United Kingdom and unitary authority area in Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley....
. He performed for the Prince of Wales

Prince of Wales

Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom . The current Prince of Wales is Charles, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom....
at the RVP staged at the London Palladium

London Palladium

The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster....
on 11th December 2008. While it was previously believed he would perform a reworked version of his routine to the Mint Royale

Mint Royale

Mint Royale is a big beat electronic music act from Manchester, England. They were originally founded by the duo Neil Claxton and Chris Baker in 1997; the latter left the band in 2004, but Claxton continued to produce music using the Mint Royale name....
remix of "Singin' In The Rain

Singin' in the Rain (song)

"Singin' in the Rain" is a song with lyrics by Arthur Freed and music by Nacio Herb Brown, published in 1929 in music. However, it is unclear exactly when the song was written with some claiming that the song was performed as early as 1927....
", he did only a small segment of this dance silhouette

Silhouette

A silhouette is a view of an object or scene consisting of the outline and a featureless interior, with the silhouetted object usually being black....
d against a large screen, before performing his song Get Up On The Dance Floor

Get Up On The Dance Floor/Headz Up

Get Up on the Dance Floor/Headz Up is the debut double A-side single of street dancer George Sampson who won the 2008 edition of Britain's Got Talent....
instead. He was introduced by young Olympic diver Tom Daley

Tom Daley (diver)

Thomas Robert Daley is a United Kingdom diving, who specialises in the Diving platforms. He started diving at the age of seven, and is a member of Plymouth Diving Club....
.

Royal Variety Performance

First show

Further performances

List of performances

2007

2008

Britain's Got Talent

2007

2008

External links