Revealed: Katherine Jenkins, Myleene Klass and stars from Traitors and Strictly lead VE Day 80 anniversary celebration at the Royal Albert Hall
Forces' sweetheart Katherine Jenkins will lead the nation in song when she marks VE Day with a star-studded celebration at the Royal Albert Hall next month.
The Mail can reveal the mezzo soprano will be among the household names taking to the famous London stage during the two-and-a-half-hour extravaganza saluting war heroes with music, dance and first-hand stories of life in 1945.
Jenkins is co-presenting the 80th anniversary event alongside broadcasters Myleene Klass and Dan Walker, and will perform standards including We'll Meet Again to the 5,000 people in attendance.
Speaking of her pride at being involved, Jenkins told the Mail: 'As someone who deeply loves and supports our veterans, commemorating VE Day 80 is not just about honouring history - it's about remembering the extraordinary courage, sacrifice, and unity that shaped the world we know today.
'Our gratitude to the heroes of that generation must never fade and we celebrate their legacy which inspires us to stand for peace, resilience, and the enduring strength of community.'
The presenters will be joined by a host of famous faces including astronaut Tim Peake, who will be discussing his own military experience having served with the British Army Air Corps after graduating from Sandhurst.
Peake said: 'VE Day is a moment to pause and reflect on the extraordinary courage and sacrifice of those who fought for our freedom.
'It's a privilege to take part in VE Day 80 The Party where I will have the honour to speak about the vital role of the Glider Pilot Regiment in the war effort.
Katherine Jenkins, pictured at BST Hyde Park last year, will be among the co-hosts of the VE Day 80th anniversary celebrations at the Royal Albert Hall
Jenkins, known as the modern-day forces' sweetheart, will also sing during the evening
Jenkins, pictured left, will co-host the event alongside fellow singer and broadcaster Myleene Klass
Klass will be joined on stage by a host of celebrities, performers and members of the public sharing their stories
Former BBC Breakfast host Dan Walker will also co-host the star-studded event
'As someone who served in the Army Air Corps I feel a deep connection to the military community and great admiration for organisations like SSAFA who continue to provide vital services to veterans, service personnel and their families.'
Harry Clark, winner of BBC's Traitors and a former lance corporal with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, will be the 'roving reporter' helping to share untold personal accounts of VE Day from the audience.
Clark said he was '100% wanting to get involved' the moment he heard about the event.
He told the Mail: 'VE Day is one of those days that is a massive celebration because it is remembering the greatest generation.
'The least we can do as a society is remember them for who they are, thanking them, and it's going to be a massive party.
'It makes me so proud to speak with people who have lived through this, who did not moan and got on with things.
'I have based my life around being a better person and I always think of them as an inspiration.
'So I am looking forward to speaking with them on the day - at Royal Albert Hall, which I can't wait for - and getting some great stories and memories from them.'
Harry Clark, winner of BBC's the Traitors, will be the 'roving reporter' on the night, interviewing members of the audience
Clark is a former lance corporal with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Astronaut Tim Peake will discuss his career in the British armed forces
The RAF Squadronaires, part of The Central Band of the Royal Air Force, will take the audience back in time with 1940s favourites.
The Hall's arena will be transformed into a dance floor, sponsored by M&S, with a performance from Strictly star Nadiya Bychkova and her professional partner James Cutler.
Randolph Churchill will recite some of the words of his great-grandfather, war-time Prime Minister Winston Churchill's, while Dame Vera Lynn's daughter Virginia Lewis-Jones will also be in attendance.
And the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra will perform the nation's best loved classical anthems, joined by guest vocalists.
The D Day Darlings group will treat the audience to a host of wartime numbers, including (There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs Of Dover.
The event, which will be broadcast on Classic FM from 8pm, is presented by SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, and sponsored by the Daily Mail.
SSAFA's national chairman Sir Simon Bollom – who had a distinguished career in the RAF – said: 'We're all absolutely thrilled by the stars of stage, screen, and even space who are taking part in VE-Day 80: the Party at the Royal Albert Hall on May 8.
'But while we rightly enjoy this evening, we must also think back 80 years to the sheer relief that so many families – families SSAFA helped then as we do now – felt with the announcement of the end of the war in Europe.
Strictly star Nadiya Bychkova is due to perform on the night
Around 5,000 guests are due to attend the Royal Albert Hall for the evening's entertainment on VE Day, Thursday May 8
'It had been a long, hard six years of war, a war that still had three months to go in the Far East.
'We can celebrate and enjoy not just this fantastic evening of entertainment and reflection, but also those hard-won freedoms we have today because of the sacrifices made by The Greatest Generation.
'We remember them, and we remember the thousands of serving and veteran Armed Forces families supported by SSAFA today through the generosity and kindness of the British public.'
