The BBC commemorated the 80th anniversary of VE Day with a spectacular live concert, kicked off with a special introduction from host Zoe Ball. The Radio 2 presenter welcomed viewers to the unique VE Day 80: A Celebration to Remember on BBC One.
The concert showcased performances from a host of celebrities at Horse Guards Parade, a fitting venue to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, featuring appearances from stars such as Samantha Barks and Fleur East.
John Newman, Victor Ray, Freya Ridings and Keala Settle were also present to perform, alongside Calum Scott, The Darkness, Toploader, Tom Walker and classical singer Sir Willard White and cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason. However, one of the wackier performances left some viewers divided.
Fleur kick-started the concert with a stunning performance, accompanied by the Strictly Come Dancing stars including Amy Dowden, Carlos Gu, Karen Hauer, Neil Jones, Lauren Oakley, and Kai Widdrington.
Special messages were delivered by Dame Joan Collins, Dame Mary Berry, and Dame Sheila Hancock, while actor Brian Cox recited a powerful rendition of Winston Churchill’s iconic wartime speech, reports the Mirror.
At the beginning of the broadcast, Roman Kemp was backstage discussing the show and introducing Zoe Ball. She hinted at arriving with special ‘props’ and expressed her excitement about hosting such a significant concert.
Zoe expressed her profound emotions about hosting, saying: “The atmosphere has been so joyous. I am telling everyone at home, you will cry tonight. The veterans will be telling their story. It means the world – it’s utterly terrifying.”
Royal excitement surged as the Prince and Princess of Wales arrived first, warmly interacting with participating veterans in the Royal Box. This was shortly followed by a ceremonial fanfare heralding the entrance of King Charles and Queen Camilla, who also took the opportunity to engage with veterans and evacuees.
Making a grand entrance, Zoe rode in on a sidecar sporting a Union Jack helmet, rallying the audience with her words: “Good evening and welcome to the VE Day 80. I am thrilled to be with you all here. Together, we can remember a very special day. We have transformed Horse Guards Parade into a special concert venue,” further enthusing, “Glorious sea of red, white and blue.”
As the event commenced, a poignant moment of homage to the attending veterans ensued, with attendees standing, clapping, and waving flags in unison. Emotional reactions flowed online, with one comment reading: “This is proper emotional man! #VEDay80,” while another noted the patriotic attire saying: “Everyone at the concert wearing red white or blue.”
Adding to the celebratory VE Day 80 performances were soap opera favourites Michelle Hardwick, Claire Sweeney, and Emma Barton, who paid tribute to The Andrew Sisters, accompanied by dancers.
These stars, known for their roles as Vanessa Woodfield in Emmerdale, Cassie Plummer in Coronation Street, and Honey Mitchell in EastEnders, appeared strikingly different from the personas they embody on-screen.
Rock band The Darkness turned up the volume next, belting out their hit “I Believe In A Thing Called Love”, inspiring the crowd to clap, sing, and dance along. But the ensemble’s appearance raised a few eyebrows on Twitter.
Comments flooded in with mixed reactions; one user exclaimed, “I mean I love The Darkness but that was bold. #VEDay80,” while another remarked: “Tbf, The Darkness was jolly, if a bit random. #VEDay80.”
Some found humor in the situation, as a third quipped, “Bet the Veterans are enjoying the randomness of The Darkness #VEDay80.”
Even more hilariously, one tweeted about the veterans’ response: “These 107-year-old veterans of VE Day are loving The Darkness banging out I Believe In A Thing Called Love #VEDay80.”
A special reboot of Dad’s Army was presented to commemorate the occasion, featuring Larry Lamb and Nigel Havers, along with Daniel Mays and Kevin Eldon. Iain Glen, Sir Derek Jacobi and Alex Macqueen also made appearances in the skit.
Freya Ridings gave a heartfelt performance of Lost Without You, interspersed with words from Margaret, a veteran’s wife, and her wartime love letters. She was joined in the Royal box by her daughter Penny, who had expressed longing for her father in her letters.
Sir Willard White performed You’ll Never Walk Alone as viewers were introduced to the stories of war survivors. Toploader then lightened the atmosphere with their hit Dancing In The Moonlight.
The concert concluded with Calum Scott’s rendition of The White Cliffs of Dover, sung along by veterans and evacuees among the 12,000-strong audience. Samantha Barks ended the show with Vera Lynn’s We’ll Meet Again, proudly displaying her advanced pregnancy as she announced she was nine months pregnant with her second child.