The Royal Variety Performance 2025 aired on Sunday evening
Aaliyah Rugg Senior reporter
19:57, 21 Dec 2025
The Royal Variety Performance 2025 aired on Sunday evening(Image: ITV)
ITV viewers have all said the same thing as The Royal Variety Performance made its comeback for 2025 with hundreds of acts taking to the stage.
Tonight (December 21) saw the return of the Royal Variety Performance as it landed on ITV screeners boasting an impressive new line up of top British and International acts.
The annual charity event, which first took place in 1912, once again lit up London’s The Royal Albert Hall with host Jason Manford taking to the stage for the 2025 edition for a night of “epic entertainment”.
ITV teased: “Jason Manford hosts a night of epic entertainment from The Royal Albert Hall – featuring performances from the musical Les Miserables, the cast of Dead Ringers, and Harry Moulding.”
McFly singer Tom Fletcher is the composer for the Paddington musical(Image: ITV)
And fans were already smitten just minutes into the show with the first act of the night. Host Jason Manford soon introduced Paddington the Bear as viewers were treated to an exclusive extract from the musical.
Host Jason said: “I think we’re all looking forward to seeing it”.
Introducing the act, composer and McFly singer Tom Fletcher added: “We are delighted to be sharing a little piece of our new show for the first time ever tonight.”
And fans were delighted as one person said on social media: “I can’t cope with West End Paddington. He’s the absolute best.”
Another wrote: “Aw Paddington is so Cute!”
Fans were treated to an early glimpse of the Paddington Bear musical(Image: ITV)
A third added: “Incredible to see the cast of #PaddingtonTheMusical tonight on @RoyalVariety. I see an early preview of the production in November, it’s INCREDIBLE!.”
A fourth penned: “#royalvarietyperformance Paddington is cute tbf though.”
Another commented: “Paddington has officially stolen my heart Cuteness overload!”
One person echoed: “Paddington is so cute OMG”, another wrote: “I wanna see Paddington so much #RoyalVariety” while a different fan commented: “After seeing that I’m more desperate to see Paddington the musical now! #royalvariety.”
The show’s opening went down a treat with viewers as another fan said: “The opening of the Royal Variety Performance is the best for years. @JasonManford and @paddingtonbear #PaddingtonTheMusical smashed it. Now there’s a dog on stage so it’s probably the best show ever.”
Paddington the musical follows the journey of the lost bear who arrives in London from Peru, in search of a new home until he comes across a chance encounter.
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The Royal Variety Performance can be streamed on ITVX.