Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

The Royal Variety Performance 2020

18/11/2020

The Royal Variety Performance 2020

Jason Manford to Host this Year's Royal Variety Performance in Blackpool

Comedian, actor and singer Jason Manford is to host The Royal Variety Performance at the historic Blackpool Opera House in the Winter Gardens Complex. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales will deliver a special message to the charity and the artistes performing in the show, as he looks forward to this exceptional evening of entertainment.

Returning to the North after nine years, the show promises to be an unforgettable evening of exceptional performers, world class British theatre and superb comedy, plus some exciting surprises.

2020's stellar line-up includes the inspirational and much-loved Captain Sir Thomas Moore who captured the nation's hearts with his fundraising efforts during the pandemic. He will be joining forces from his home for an exclusive performance with legendary singer and entertainer Michael Ball who will be on stage at the Opera House with the NHS choir to perform their chart-topping anthem You'll Never Walk Alone'. Plus a special solo appearance by British superstar Gary Barlow.

The evening will also herald the welcome return of musical theatre with an exclusive performance from the award-winning Sheridan Smith as Cilla in the heart-warming and spectacular Cilla The Musical and a mesmerising exclusive from Frozen the Musical starring leading lady Samantha Barks.

There's more music from Brit Award winner and rising star Celeste, singer and Spice Girl Melanie C and high energy choreography from the eternally popular Steps.

Magic from much loved TV presenter Stephen Mulhern, a phenomenal performance from West End sensation Marisha Wallace as well as a high octane and jaw-dropping performance from Kenyan acrobats The Black Blues Brothers.

Also taking to the stage with a specially composed and heart-warming performance, musical comedian and Britain's Got Talent 2020 winner Jon Courtenay. Plus more comedy from stand ups Jo Caulfield and Daliso Chaponda.

Jason Manford said: After appearing at the Royal Variety Performance three times since 2009, it is an honour and a privilege to be hosting the show this year. It's been a hugely difficult year for everybody, so I hope that for a couple of hours on a cold Winter's night in Blackpool, we can take people's minds off things and do what us Brits do best; have a laugh.

The event is staged in aid of the Royal Variety Charity, whose patron is Her Majesty The Queen. The money raised from the show helps those people from the world of entertainment in need of care and assistance.

The star studded spectacular will be screened on ITV in December. It will be produced by ITV Studios.

The Royal Variety Performance has been commissioned by ITV's Commissioning Editor, Entertainment David Smyth and Executive Producer for ITV is Fiona Clark and Series Producer for ITV is Lawrie Jordan. Executive Producers for the Royal Variety Charity are Laurie Mansfield, Giles Cooper and Phil Dale.

[end]

Note to editors

Due to COVID 19 restrictions and in line with Government guidelines the audience will be virtual this year.

The show was last held in Blackpool in 2009. This is the first time the event has left London since 2011 when it was held Salford's Lowry Theatre.
LINK: https://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/royal-variety-performan...
See more stories from itv

Most recent headlines

27/11/2025

Vizrt Launches Viz One 8.1 With AI-Powered Features

LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...

27/11/2025

Prime Video Debuts AI-Powered Video Recaps

Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...

27/11/2025

Katie Taylor, Rachael Blackmore and Arthur Gourounlian among the guests on this week's Late Late Show

World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...

27/11/2025

Tonight on RT Prime Time, serious child protection concerns emerge over online gaming platform, Roblox

Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...

27/11/2025

The Ultimate Black Friday Deal Is Here

Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...

26/11/2025

SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Featuring NFL, NBA, and Golf

SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...

26/11/2025

Inside the Archives: Winter Is in the Air and in Our Festival Films

A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...

26/11/2025

10 Book Podcasts You Can't Miss

Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...

26/11/2025

JioStar and Nielsen Unveil Breakthrough Cross-Screen MeasurementStudy, Redefining Advertising Effectiveness in Live Sports

Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...

26/11/2025

ITN Deploys IP-Based Production Control Room

LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....

26/11/2025

YouTube TV, TelevisaUnivision End Lengthy Blackout

MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...

26/11/2025

OpenDrives Bridges the Gap Between IT and Creatives with...

OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...

26/11/2025

Disguise to Showcase Future of Event Visuals at LDI 2025

Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...

26/11/2025

HighField AI Expands Global Channel Partner Network to Ac...

HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...

26/11/2025

Mono Streaming selects PlayBox Neo to manage English Prem...

As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...

26/11/2025

Bell Centre arena in Montreal elevates fan experience wit...

Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...

26/11/2025

Vizrt launches AI-powered advances for speed and accuracy...

Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...

26/11/2025

ITN Launches Low-Latency IP Control Room Powered by Teche...

ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...

26/11/2025

Ikegami Maintains Initiative in Broadcast Systems Develop...

Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...

26/11/2025

Fubo, NBCUniversal Trade Barbs in Carriage Dispute

Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....

26/11/2025

Global Sports Rights Spending to Top $78 Billion in 2030

LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...

26/11/2025

Vubiquity Earns AWS Media & Entertainment Competency Status

LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...

26/11/2025

Comcast Pays $1.5 Million to Settle FCC Data Breach Probe

WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...

26/11/2025

Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List

Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...

26/11/2025

YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for Sustainability

YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025 YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...

26/11/2025

Netflix Deepens Partnership with Taiwan's 62nd Golden Horse Film Festival, Launches New Talent and Storytelling Initiatives

Back to All News Netflix Deepens Partnership with Taiwan's 62nd Golden Hors...

25/11/2025

Tracy Bonareri Onchoke: Winner, Young Journalist Award 2025

Tracy Bonareri Onchoke, an investigative journalist from Kenya is the winner of the Thomson Foundation's Young Journalist Award 2025. The 26-year-old-sele...

25/11/2025

SVG All-Stars: Blayke Scheer, Senior Director, Creative Content, YES Network

SVG All-Stars: Blayke Scheer, Senior Director, Creative Content, YES NetworkThe Indiana alum has turned storytelling into an artform for more than two decadesBy...

25/11/2025

Op-Ed: With FCC's C-Band Auction on the Horizon, Broadcasters Need Proven, Cost-Effective Alternatives

Op-Ed: With FCC's C-Band Auction on the Horizon, Broadcasters Need Proven, C...

25/11/2025

Analysis: Is Baller League Really the Future of Sport?

Analysis: Is Baller League really the future of sport? By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:10 Print This Story With KSI on...

25/11/2025

Platinum Whitepaper: The Growth of Broadcast in the World of Major Large Scale Events with SOS Global

Platinum Whitepaper: The Growth of Broadcast in the World of Major Large Scale E...

25/11/2025

SVG Summit 2025 Preview: SVG Women's Sports Workshop

SVG Summit 2025 Preview: SVG Women's Sports WorkshopBy Samantha Gabay Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:27 am Print This Story | Subscribe Story Highlig...

25/11/2025

SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: CacheFly's Matt Levine on the Evolving Role of the CDN and Prioritizing Throughput

SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: CacheFly's Matt Levine on the Evolving Role of th...

25/11/2025

Peacock's EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast Levels Up on Thanksgiving With SkyCam as the Primary Angle and More Madden Elements

Peacock's EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast Levels Up on Thanksgiving With SkyCam as...

25/11/2025

Sauna Is an Intimate Exploration of Queer Love and Identity

Mathias Broe attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Sauna at Library Center Theatre. (Photo by Michael Hurcomb/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Fes...

25/11/2025

5 Reasons to Try Spotify Premium This Holiday Season

The best playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks bring a little extra magic to your daily routine. With new features and offerings, Spotify Premium delivers even mo...

25/11/2025

New Study Reveals Australians Love Discovering New Music

Comprehensive new research confirms what we already knew: Australian music fans love the quality, quantity, and access they have to new and local music on strea...

25/11/2025

Why Use a SIM Card With The SNYPER-5G

Applicable Products Objectives The purpose of this application note is to give a brief background on 5G (NR) wireless communication an explain the reason a SN...

25/11/2025

Lionsgate and Nielsen expand partnership to deliver first-ever combined FAST channel and digital network measurement

Nielsen will now measure both Lionsgate's FAST channel MovieSphere and Movie...

25/11/2025

AP Switches to DaVinci Resolve Studio for Global News Production

FREMONT, Calif. Blackmagic Design said the Associated Press has completed the transition of its global video-editing platform to DaVinci Resolve Studio....

25/11/2025

Berklees Inaugural Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole Scholarship Awarded to Paris Pineyro

Berklees Inaugural Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole Scholarship Awarded to Paris P...

25/11/2025

Traditional TV Players Gained Viewers in October: Nielsen Gauge

NEW YORK NFL and college football coverage, the MLB postseason and the new fall broadcast-TV season contributed to major gains for traditional media companies a...

25/11/2025

Tower Products CEO Jim Veltrie to Retire Dec. 30

SAUGERTIES, N.Y. Tower Products, a manufacturer and distributor of pro video and audio equipment here, said President and CEO Jim Veltrie will retire from the c...

25/11/2025

Sinclair Makes Unsolicited Bid to Buy Scripps at $7 a Share

Following last week's disclosure that it had acquired a 8.2% stake in E.W. Scripps, Sinclair has filed papers with the Securities and Exchange Commission pr...

25/11/2025

VEON's QazCode and MeetKai Sign Agreement to Power National LLM Training and Local-Language Agentic Services Across VEON Markets

25 Nov 2025 VEON's QazCode and MeetKai Sign Agreement to Power National LLM...

25/11/2025

UKTV acquires three shows from Paramount Global Content Distribution for U, U&W and U&alibi

UKTV has acquired a high-profile slate of US dramas from Paramount Global Conten...

25/11/2025

Will Sharpe, Paul Bettany and Gabrielle Creevy star in a spectacular five-part event series Amadeus: Full Trailer Released

A symphony of genius, rivalry and vengeance, boldly reimagined from Peter Shaffe...

25/11/2025

Bradford Young named 2025 FilmLight Colour Awards Jury President'

Article courtesy of Cinematography World Read the article FilmLight has finalised the prestigious 2025 FilmLight Colour Awards jury and welcomed award-winning...