Acting heavyweights Sir Ian McKellen and Sandra Oh appeared on The One Show on Monday
19:57, 11 May 2026Updated 19:58, 11 May 2026
Sir Ian McKellen appeared on The One Show(Image: BBC)
Sir Ian McKellen left many BBC viewers delighted as he appeared on The One Show.
Alex Jones and Roman Kemp were back on the green sofa during Monday’s (May 11) The One Show to discuss the day’s topical news stories. They were also joined by British acting legend Sir Ian and Grey’s Anatomy and Killing Eve star Sandra Oh.
Ian is starring alongside Michaela Coel, James Corden, and Jessica Gunning in Steven Soderbergh’s upcoming drama The Christophers, while Sandra will make her highly anticipated London stage debut at the National Theatre next month.
BBC viewers quickly took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their delight at seeing Ian on the show.
“I’ve been the biggest fan of Sir Ian McKellen since I saw him play Romeo opposite Francesca Annis in 1978!” one person wrote.
Sandra Oh joined Sir Ian on the famous green sofa(Image: BBC)
Another added, “Ian McKellen, yes,” while a third said, “I have seen The Christophers. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sir Ian was superb in his role. Definitely worth watching.”
A fourth fan echoed the sentiment, saying, “Love Sandra Oh, Sir Ian is a living legend,” with another noting, “Sandra Oh is fangirling over Sir Ian McKellen!”
The Christophers centres around two siblings who, desperate for an inheritance, conspire to forge their father’s unfinished paintings so they become valuable after his death.
The official synopsis reads: “A mainstay of the London art scene since his starry breakout in the creative explosion of the 1960’s, Julian Sklar has drifted into a cluttered, self-imposed seclusion.
“His two estranged children enlist Lori, a young painter and sometime-forger, to pose as a prospective assistant and gain access to a fabled series of unfinished canvases Julian has buried deep in his home studio, in a deceptive bid to secure an inheritance for themselves.”
The legendary actor is starring in a new movie(Image: BBC)
Speaking about his role in the film, Ian explained: “We can’t go too much into the plot because it’s a bit of a thriller, but he’s been living by himself for a long time and not painting. Before that, he was considered to be one of the great English painters.
“But up in the attic, he’s got some unfinished paintings that those dreadful children, [played by] Jessica and James, want to get hold of, at least before he dies. So, they send their mate along to interfere and set it all up, and the plot unravels from there.”
He went on: “I live in the most fantastic house, I think it was in Clapham. [It was] full of everything you could ever want from an artist, and I wanted to settle in there – it was gorgeous, I had a wonderful time doing it.”
Much like the excitement of BBC viewers, Sandra was delighted to appear on the show alongside Ian, saying, “I cannot believe that you just said my name alongside Sir Ian’s name. I’m just like [makes shocked face]. Thank you.”
The One Show airs weeknights on BBC One at 7pm, while The Christophers will be released in cinemas on May 15