56th Variety Club Awards

The A-list was out in force last November at the Variety Club’s 56th Annual Showbiz Awards!

Celebrating every aspect of Showbiz, the Awards are highly sought after and suitably prized amongst those lucky enough to receive them.

The awards evening is also an important fundraising occasion in the charity’s calendar, and this event which took place at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane was one of the most successful ever.

As a long term supporter of the charity, Pollyanna was pleased to once again be invited to attend, and enjoyed a three course dinner followed by the presentation of the awards hosted by the comedian and impressionist John Culshaw.

The show which featured performances from the West End cast of Hairspray and singer Hayley Westenra was broadcast on Sky 1. John Sachs, Variety Club’s Showbiz Chairman told us “The Variety Club Showbiz Awards are the oldest and most established awards in the UK that recognise outstanding talent in the field of entertainment.

Due to the generous donations of all our guests and supporters, the vital funds raised tonight will enable Variety Club to continue to support children and young people throughout the UK”.

Pollyanna is pictured above congratulating Sir Michael Caine, the recipient of the most prestigious award of the evening, the Bernard Delfont Award for Outstanding Contribution to Showbusiness. She also had the opportunity to catch up with Noel Edmonds, the winner of the Showbusiness Personality award for the first time since she was interviewed on his popular Saturday morning show Swapshop back in the 1980’s! Noel did remember the interview – no doubt partly due to the fact Pollyanna was painting a live harris’s hawk onscreen throughout! Pollyanna was also happy to chat with actor John Hurt, who owns some of her original work.

Among the host of other famous faces spotted at the awards were actors Sir Ben Kingsley Kenneth Branagh and Richard Briers, who received the warmest reception of the evening from the audience. The world of comedy was represented by comedians Alan Carr, David Mitchell and Robert Webb, Little Britain star David Walliams, and Simon Pegg creator of movies such as Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. Cilla Black, Gloria Hunniford and Elaine Paige were also among the attendees – although Al Pacino, winner of the International award gave his acceptance speech via video from the US!

Movie star James McAvoy was awarded with the Variety Club Film Award for acclaimed performances in movies such as Atonement and The Last King of Scotland, and summed up the spirit of the event saying “This is the first award I’ve ever got from a charitable organisation. To be able to be associated with them, to be recognised by them, is an absolute privilege. I know people who have been helped out by the Variety Club, the point of their operation is about enabling ….. it’s about improving quality of life.”