Comedian Greg Davies hosts the annual showbiz spectacular - The Royal Variety Performance - from the London Palladium
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in for a showbiz spectacular as a throng of famous faces gather for the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium for the annual shindig of music, comedy and entertainment.
Take That, Andrea Bocelli, Rick Astley and comic Rhod Gilbert are among the acts hoping to keep Meghan, Harry and the rest of the audience entertained, while Cirque du Soleil and the West End cast of hit musical Hamilton will also perform.
This year’s winner of Britain’s Got Talent, Lee Ridley, aka Lost Voice Guy, promises a cheeky turn with a few jokes tossed in especially for the Royals, while comedian Greg Davies (pictured top) is the compere for the evening.
TV Times rating: ****
Lee, 37, who has a neurological form of cerebral palsy and uses a text-to-speech app to communicate, tells TV Times why it’s a dream come true…
Did you watch The Royal Variety Performance as a child? Yes, we always watched it together as a family when I was little. A lot of my heroes have performed at the London Palladium, so it’s amazing to be following in their footsteps.
Can you give us any hints about what your routine will involve? It will be cheeky, mischievous and, most of all, funny. There may be one or two jokes especially for the Duke and Duchess! I can’t wait to meet them. They’re definitely the coolest Royals at the moment. I just hope they like my jokes or I might end up in the Tower of London!
Take That, Rick Astley and the legendary Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo are also performing this year. Who are you most excited about meeting? I’m looking forward to meeting Take That. I’m secretly hoping they’ll let me be the new Robbie Williams and we can have a No.1 hit together. I’ve got a great singing voice, after all! And I’m excited about meeting comedian Greg Davies, who’s hosting the evening. I’ve always loved his stand-up.
