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The Olivier Awards are back on the BBC and fans were bowled over with host Nick Mohammed also praised for his flawless delivery at the Royal Albert Hall tonight

Viewers were quick to slam ITV’s coverage of the Olivier Awards, which made its long-awaited return to the BBC tonight.

Fans were left impressed by its return after years away with the live broadcast from the Royal Albert Hall tonight. The great and the good from theatre and stage were there, as well as plenty of other big names, as the winners were announced in London.

The star-studded ceremony was back on the BBC for the first time in 23 years, and those tuning in are happy at the switch. Highlights from the glitzy bash included performances from this year’s nominees, including Paddington The Musical, Into the Woods, and Evita.

Viewers were also treated to spectacular celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of Phantom of the Opera and the 20th anniversary of Wicked. Minutes into the show, fans flocked to X to share their delight that the Olivier Awards were back “where they should be”.

“Thank goodness we got a decent Olivier Awards show back on BBC at a decent time rather than the throw away coverage on ITV previously. Really enjoyed that,” one put, as another said: “The BBC really know how to do it right, don’t they. Can’t stop watching the Olivier Awards tonight!”

An impressed third person said: “Currently watching the Olivier Awards 2026 on BBC Two right now. Great acceptance award speeches about making sure that there are still charities to fund talented and new individuals through the acting door, in particular, the next generation.”

Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sir Ian McKellen, Dame Helen Mirren and Dame Arlene Phillips will all be on hand to dish out the awards, with Ted Lasso and Celebrity Traitors star Nick Mohammed on hosting duties at the iconic venue.

The was plenty of praise for him online and one said: “Nick Mohammed is just wonderful as the olivier awards host” with someone else agreeing and they wrote: “Can Nick Mohammed host every award show for all eternity. He’s very good isn’t he? #olivierawards“.

The Queen sent her congratulations to Dame Elaine Paige on receiving this year’s Special Award and the royal said: “You have, quite simply, brought huge joy to untold numbers of people across the globe and we are in your debt.”

Paddington was the big winner on the night, with West End revivals of Evita and Into The Woods also winning plaudits. The smash-hit musical – which is adapted from the books by Michael Bond and the hit films – won in seven categories from 11 nominations including best new musical, best actor in a musical and best actor and actress in a supporting role.

It follows the adventures of the marmalade-loving bear from Peru, starring a life-like puppet of Paddington, and also picked up the prize for best costume design, best set design and the Sir Peter Hall award for best director. Paddington, currently on at the Savoy Theatre in London, features music written by McFly star Tom Fletcher and its book was written by playwright Jessica Swale.

Winners in full:

Best actor

Jack Holden for Kenrex at The Other Palace

Best actress

Rosamund Pike for Inter Alia at the National Theatre

Best actor in a musical

James Hameed and Arti Shah for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre

Best actress in a musical

Rachel Zegler for Evita at The London Palladium

Best actor in a supporting role

Paapa Essiedu for All My Sons at Wyndham’s Theatre

Best actress in a supporting role

Julie Hesmondhalgh for Punch at the Young Vic and the Apollo Theatre

Best actress in a supporting role in a musical

Victoria Hamilton-Barritt for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre

Best actor in a supporting role in a musical

Tom Edden for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre

Best new play

Punch by James Graham at the Young Vic and the Apollo Theatre

Best new musical

Paddington The Musical at the Savoy Theatre

Best revival

All My Sons by Arthur Miller at Wyndham’s Theatre

Best musical revival

Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre

Best costume design

Gabriella Slade and Tahra Zafar for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre

Best sound design

Giles Thomas for Kenrex at The Other Palace

Noel Coward award for best new entertainment or comedy play

Oh, Mary! by Cole Escola at Trafalgar Theatre

Best family show

The Boy At The Back Of The Class adapted by Nick Ahad at Rose Theatre

Gillian Lynne Award for best theatre choreographer

Fabian Aloise for Evita at The London Palladium

Best set design

Tom Pye and Ash J Woodward for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre

Sir Peter Hall Award for best director

Luke Sheppard for Paddington The Musical at Savoy Theatre

Best lighting design

Aideen Malone and Roland Horvath for Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre

Outstanding musical contribution

Chris Fenwick and Sean Hayes for Good Night, Oscar at Barbican Theatre

Best new production in affiliate theatre

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams at The Yard Theatre

Best new dance production

Into The Hairy by Sharon Eyal for S-E-D at Sadler’s Wells

Best new opera production

Dead Man Walking by English National Opera at London Coliseum

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Rescuers are digging through rubble after a new wave of Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon killed at least 13 people. The attacks hit multiple towns in the Tyre and Nabatieh districts. The death toll from Israeli attacks in Lebanon climbs above 2,000.

Alex Kingston was awarded eighth place in Strictly Come Dancing last year with her professional partner Johannes Radebe.

Alex Kingston admits she felt “worthless” after her high-profile divorce from a Hollywood icon.

Saturday Kitchen Live returns today, Saturday, March 14, on BBC One with presenter Matt Tebbutt joined by this week’s special guest Alex Kingston, famed for ER, Doctor Who and more recently Strictly Come Dancing.

As the 63-year-old returns to our screens this weekend, here’s an insight into the life of the fan-favourite actress.

Hollywood marriage

Alex Kingston was married to none other than Schindler’s List and Harry Potter legend Ralph Fiennes, after they met as students at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 1983.

They dated for a decade, married in 1993 but divorced in 1997 after Fiennes had an affair with his Hamlet co-star Francesca Annis who was 18 years his senior.

For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website.

After discovering the affair, Alex found it too difficult to stay in London and so started a new life in Los Angeles and joined the cast of ER in 1997.

Previously speaking about the break-up to the Daily Mail, she shared: “I was feeling worthless, that I would never find anyone else as good as my husband, which is ridiculous, but I had so little self-esteem.

“Divorce is awful, but it is also something I don’t regret happening to me because it has shaped who I am now.”

She went on to marry her second husband, German writer Florian Haetel, two years later and had their daughter Salome Violetta Haertel.

Their marriage wasn’t to last either though as they separated in 2009 and divorced four years later.

Two years after her second divorce, the star went on to marry TV producer Jonathan Stamp with the pair still happily together.

Strictly

Alex competed in Strictly Come Dancing 2025 with partner Johannes Radebe and proved to be a fan-favourite with BBC viewers.

However, she didn’t get the best critique from harsh judge Craig Revel-Horwood when he jibed that Alex looked like she was having a “midlife crisis” during her Halloween Week salsa routine to Mousse T Fellow’s Horny.

Reacting to the unexpected comment to Prima Magazine, she said: “When I did the Strictly Halloween ‘Horny’ number, I wasn’t fully aware of the scathing critique Craig had given me about looking like a woman who is having a midlife crisis.

“I didn’t realise that he was saying it or know about the follow-through in terms of people saying, ‘That’s just outrageous, how dare you say something like that?’

“It was a little mean-spirited for Craig to say that and also I just felt like it’s exactly the opposite of what I’m trying to advocate.

“It’s like, no, if you want to dance and swing a devil’s tail around and you’re in your 90s, do it. I mean, this is your life. So live it!”

Health scare

Alex was diagnosed with and treated for uterine cancer in 2024 and, after a hysterectomy and radiation, she is now in remission.

The star initially dismissed symptoms including boating as a sign of aging but suffered a “shocking” haemorrhage while on stage at Chichester Festival Theatre.

It was after this incident that Alex was given the unexpected diagnosis, telling the BBC: “I never went down the cancer road in my head.

“It was a shock, because I have a very positive outlook on life in general.

“Even though my body was telling me there was something very seriously wrong.”

Alex added that it was this experience in 2024 that pushed her to say yes to Strictly Come Dancing the following year as “life is too short”.

Alex appears on Saturday Kitchen on BBC One on March 14 at 10am