Tom Cruise, Helen Mirren, Damian Lewis and Omid Djalili will lead an A-list cast of talent celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee on U.K. broadcaster ITV.
The event will be broadcast live on ITV from the private grounds of Windsor Castle on May 15 and will be the first televised event to mark the occasion.
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Phillip Schofield and Julie Etchingham will host the live ITV broadcast “The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebration,” which will feature guests including Adjoa Andoh, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Ant & Dec, Joan Collins, Mo Farah, Maureen Lipman, David Jason, Alan Titchmarsh, Kelly Holmes, Moira Stuart and Trevor McDonald, with special performances from Keala Settle, Gregory Porter, Katherine Jenkins as they pay tribute to the Queen’s 70 years of service.
A theatrical arena event will include 1300 performers and 500 horses and is made up of four acts, each overseen by a different event host – confirmed to be Tom Cruise, Damian Lewis, Adjoa Andoh and Alan Titchmarsh respectively. The celebration will take viewers on a ride through history, from the reign of Queen Elizabeth I through to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, culminating in a grand finale.
Helen Mirren, who won an Oscar playing Queen Elizabeth II in “The Queen” (2006), will take on the role of Queen Elizabeth I, whilst a cast of Queen’s Players will be introduced by a character called The Herald played by Djalili.
The Commonwealth will also be celebrated as well as the four nations within the United Kingdom. All of this will be interspersed with a number of military and equestrian displays from around the world including Azerbaijan, India, Oman, France, Norway, Switzerland and Trinidad & Tobago.
Katie Rawcliffe, head of ITV entertainment commissioning said: “We’re thrilled to be broadcasting the first televised event for the Queen’s platinum jubilee here on ITV. To mark this momentous occasion, we’ll be bringing the nation a celebratory, star-studded show, complete with show-stopping performances and an epic journey through history, told by some of the most well-renowned and respected names in film and television.”
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