Huge singer's VE Day 80 performance sparks confusion amongst viewers
Viewers who tuned in for the BBC VE Day 80 concert were left baffled after singer John Newman took to the stage to perform in front of veterans and the Royal Family
A huge singer sparked confusion amongst viewers during the VE Day 80 concert on Thursday. Hitmaker John Newman, known for tracks including Love Me Again, Come and Get It and Blame joined the line-up alongside Calum Scott, Tom Walker, Fleur East, Keala Settle and The Darkness.
The singer took to the stage at London's Horseguards Parade for a special concert to mark the 80th anniversary of victory in Europe, when the Germans surrendered after their brutal attacks across the continent, marking the end of the Second World War in 1945. The event on Thursday night was the finale of the dozens to mark the historic event.
Famous faces from across the entertainment industry, including Strictly Come Dancing stars and soap actors, joined forces for the remarkable event, which was attended by veterans, King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Kate, Sophie, Countess of Edinburgh, Prince Edward and Sir Keir Stamer and his wife, Lady Victoria.
While John has recently taken a hiatus from music, with his last studio album being released ten years ago, many viewers were left baffled following his performance. Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one viewer said: "WTF was that John Newman on VE80?"
"What a row from John Newman," said a second. Meanwhile, a third went on to ask: "Watching the VE 80 celebrations on tv, who is John Newman?"
But one fan was left baffled by the decision to have John and The Darkness on the bill for the event. However, some viewers went on to praise John's performance. One fan said: "That was certainly interesting by John Newman, I did actually like the slightly different version of the song."
"Wasn't expecting to like this concert but am really enjoying it. Yes, even John Newman #VEDay80," said a second. A third viewer typed: "Kings speech followed by John Newman, not the bingo card I had in mind but flip its brilliant."
During the concert, there were also special words from Dame Joan Collins, Dame Mary Berry, Dame Sheila Hancock while Brian Cox also read out Sir Winston Churchill's monumental wartime speech.
At the start of the broadcast, Roman Kemp was backstage as he chatted about the show and introduced Zoe Ball. She teased that she would be arriving with special 'props' and said she was excited to be hosting such a special concert.
"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," Zoe said of her hosting role.
The Prince and Princess of Wales were the first to arrive, where they greeted veterans who had joined them in the Royal Box. A fanfare was then played as King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived, where they spoke with veterans and evacuees.
Zoe then arrived on a sidecar with a Union Jack helmet, as she addressed the crowds. "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," she said, "Glorious sea of red, white and blue."
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