Lights, camera, DAZZLE!

Jason Manford is in high spirits as he chats to TV Times about his 'favourite job of the year': compèring showstopping spectacular Big Night of Musicals.

- JASON MANFORD on the musical treats ahead in this year's extravaganza

BIG NIGHT OF MUSICALS NEW SATURDAY, 6.50PM (WALES, BBC2), BBC1 ENTERTAINMENT

Jason Manford is in high spirits as he chats to TV Times about his ‘favourite job of the year’: compèring showstopping spectacular Big Night of Musicals.

Bringing together the crème de la crème of London's West End hits, current theatrical tours, and upcoming productions, the 2025 toe-tapping celebration took place at the AO Arena in Manchester in January and will air on BBC this Saturday.

'It's an honor to present this, and I'm chuffed it was held again in Manchester – my home city,' smiles the actor and comedian, 43, who has helmed the annual event since its launch in 2022.

Among the highlights this time are Carrie Hope Fletcher with a whip-crackin' medley from the new UK and Ireland tour of Calamity Jane, a powerhouse performance of Maybe This Time by American actor Marisha Wallace, who is starring in the current West End production of Cabaret, and a preview of Disney's Hercules, which is set to open this summer in London.

Here, Jason, who won rave reviews when he trod the boards in musicals such as The Producers, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Wizard of Oz, tells us about puttin' on the glitz...

It's another impressive line-up this year. Which musicals were you most looking forward to seeing perform?

There were musicals I knew nothing about, like Titanique, a parody of the 1998 film Titanic told through Celine Dion songs [which officially opened at London's Criterion Theatre in January and stars Layton Williams]. It rocked the room and I reckon it'll be one of those sleeper hits.

There's also the Steps musical Here & Now. I appeared alongside its star Rebecca Lock, who has a cracking voice, in [musical whodunnit] Curtains in 2020.