Dame Edna Everage was host three times, while Freddie Starr, Ken Dodd, Joan Rivers, Shirley Bassey, Al Murray, Donny Osmond and Kylie Minogue were all asked to return once.
Unusual hosts have included a puppet, Sooty, cast members of ITV soap opera Coronation Street, and boxer Lennox Lewis.
[5] All round entertainer Des O'Connor was joined on stage by Martine McCutcheon, and dueted with Lionel Richie in a version of "Three Times a Lady".
[4] Comedians will also interact with the audience, with Freddie Starr throwing maggots over Faith Brown,[4] and Al Murray, in his Pub Landlord persona, spilling drinks over them.
[6] Singing based shows also sometimes involved comic relief, with Frank Skinner appearing in drag as one of Lulu's backing singers,[3] and Kylie Minogue being joined on stage by Kermit the Frog for a romantic duet.
[7] In 2010, ITV broadcast 30 Years of An Audience With, looking back at the history of the series, with interviews from past guests, and clips from old shows.
[8] On the 20th anniversary of the comedian's untimely death, ITV decided to mark the occasion with the use of a technology which gave the illusion he was on stage.
The special was filmed on 6 November, at the London Palladium, with the audience consisting of Adele's personal heroes, friends, musicians, actors, artists, sportspeople.
[13] It debuted in New Zealand in May 2022, on TVNZ [14] In August 2023, ITV announced that An Audience with Kylie would be made by their Lifted Entertainment sub-division (in association with Minogue's label BMG Records), with filming due to take place at the Royal Albert Hall.
The episodes available were hosted by Harry Hill, Billy Connolly, Bob Monkhouse, Sir Cliff Richard, Jimmy Tarbuck, Ken Dodd, Kenneth Williams, Peter Ustinov, Ronnie Corbett, Shirley Bassey and Victoria Wood.