Season 80
The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family.
The performance showcases a variety of family entertainment including comedy, singing, dance, magic and other speciality acts. The event is organised on behalf of the Entertainment Artistes Benevolent Fund of which Queen Elizabeth is patron. All proceeds are donated to the fund.
The Royal Variety Performance traditionally aired annually in South Africa on M-Net on New Year's Eve. The show moved to DStv's BBC Entertainment channel for 2010 and back to M-Net and DStv's M-Net HD channel in 2011.
The 80th Royal Variety Performance aired on M-Net on Wednesday 31 December 2008, at 23h45. The special was two hours long.
80th Royal Variety Performance
A host of celebrities and artists from the worlds of music, comedy and theatre came together for the annual highlight of the showbiz calendar, the Royal Variety Performance.
Celebrating its 80th anniversary, this year's show returned to the iconic London Palladium on Thursday 11 December 2008 and performed in the presence of Their Royal Highnesses, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall.
Headlining for 2008 were pop heart throbs Take That, cementing their place as the UK's comeback kings. The Pussycat Dolls also performed a medley of their sassiest hits.
Ready to take a bow was R&B diva Rihanna, while international singing sensation Leona Lewis made her Royal debut, as did glamorous Welsh soul songstress Duffy.
Hoping to top his now legendary Singin' In The Rain was Britain's Got Talent winner, 15-year-old George Sampson, with a brand new dance routine.
Housewives' favourite and Torchwood's suave Captain Jack, John Barrowman, returned to the stage and American music sensation Naturally 7 performed their distinct acapella performance.
Pop veterans Cliff Richard and The Shadows reformed especially for the show as they prepared to celebrate their 50th anniversary; and performing a one-off duet was multi Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Josh Groban and BBC Last Choir Standing victors Only Men Aloud.
From the world of theatre and dance the best of the West End came together for one night only with Jersey Boys telling the rags-to-rock-to-riches tale of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.
The cast of Zorro brought to life the legend of the masked Spanish hero and, celebrating its 10th year in the West End, Disney's The Lion King dazzled with the sights and sounds of the African Savanna.
Also taking centre stage and currently winning rave reviews was La Cage Aux Folles.
There were also roof-raising live performance from legendary Queen guitarist Brian May and Kerry Ellis fresh from Broadway and the multi-award-winning Wicked.
Completing the show's theatrical line-up was the extraordinary Les Ballets Trockadero De Monte Carlo, the ballet troupe with a difference.
Britain's much-loved comedian Peter Kay returned to the Royal Variety Performance after a decade away with his Irish talent show-winning alter ego Geraldine McQueen.
Other top comedy at this year's performance came from award-winning comic Jimmy Carr, banter merchant Michael McIntyre and funny man Rhod Gilbert.
Double act Armstrong and Miller performed a one-off sketch featuring characters from their BAFTA-nominated comedy show.
The Royal Variety Performance is an annual charity event in aid of the Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund.