BBC TO MARK 80th ANNIVERSARY OF VE DAY, PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS REVEALED

The BBC will mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day with a wide-ranging slate of special programming across television, radio, online and archive and reporting from BBC News. Coverage begins with VE Day 80: The Nation Pays Tribute, a live broadcast on BBC One and iPlayer of the military procession and flypast from London presented by Sophie Raworth.

Tim Davie CBE, Director-General of the BBC, says: “VE Day stands as a powerful reminder of the courage, sacrifice, and resilience shown by so many during one of history’s darkest times. At the BBC, we are proud to bring the nation together to pay tribute to the WWII generation and ensure their legacy is remembered.”

VE Day 80: The Nation Pays Tribute – Monday 5 May

The first day of the VE Day 80 celebrations starts with a live broadcast on BBC One and iPlayer of the military procession taking place in London. We will honour and pay tribute to the extraordinary bravery and achievements of our veterans and recognise the invaluable work of those on the Home Front, who celebrated Victory in Europe Day 80 years ago. The morning’s events culminate in a spectacular flypast to mark this historic anniversary.

Sophie Raworth will be presenting from St James’s Park in London, together with reporters along the route to bring all the atmosphere. Paddy O’Connell, whose father served during the Second World War will provide commentary on the event.

VE Day 80: The Nation Remembers – Thursday 8 May

The VE Day 80 celebrations continue at Westminster Abbey with a service of thanksgiving paying tribute to the service and sacrifice of the Second World War generation. Petroc Trelawny will provide commentary from inside Westminster Abbey and invited guests will share their memories.

From the BBC’s studio in St James’s Park, Sophie Raworth will be joined by special guests, talking about their experiences of the war years.

VE Day 80: A Celebration to Remember – Thursday 8 May

The finale of the VE Day 80 celebrations culminates in a live concert from Horse Guards parade in London presented by Zoe Ball. Alongside the stars of stage and screen who will perform at the concert, veterans will also tell their stories of love, loss and resilience, as they share their unique experiences of VE Day when they could finally smile again.

With a live orchestra, the concert will channel the spirit of what was the ultimate feel good party, and no VE Day concert would be complete without special performances of “The White Cliffs of Dover” and “We’ll Meet Again”.

BBC Breakfast

BBC Breakfast will have special VE programmes presented from outside Buckingham Palace on Monday 5 May with Sarah Campbell and from outside Westminster Abbey on Thursday 8th May with Charlie Stayt.

Throughout the week BBC Breakfast will be putting veterans at the heart of the coverage with interviews, stories and even a 100th birthday celebration. They will be in the Netherlands at the Dutch Liberation Parade where citizens thank the British veterans who helped secure their freedom, and join celebrations in a care home and at a street party to share the memories and join event 80 years on from that momentous day. BBC Breakfast will also take viewers inside the Tower of London for an exclusive look at its new poppy display.

Morning Live

On Wednesday, the show will reflect on the UK-wide lighting of landmarks the night before and share a touching surprise film celebrating a viewer born during the announcement of the war’s end, now turning 80. The team also hopes to welcome a guest from that evening’s performance at the Imperial War Museum in Salford.

On Thursday, Dame Kelly Holmes presents a heartfelt film about a village for war veterans, alongside a live link to BBC Events’ coverage from Westminster and a behind-the-scenes look at concert preparations. Plans are also in place for a live report from a VE Day ceremony in Plymouth and potential collaborations with Antiques Roadshow and EastEnders. The show will close with a live performance from soprano Laura Wright before handing over to national coverage at 10.45am.

The One Show

On Monday 5 May Alex Jones and Roman Kemp host a special hour long episode of The One Show to celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE Day. The programme will bring you all you need to know about the week’s events, feature moving stories from around the UK including the moment Al Murray meets 110 year old veteran Donald, who’s also Britain’s oldest man.

Plus Brian Conley goes behind the scenes at the historic Gorleston Pavilion Theatre in Norfolk where they’re gearing up for a showstopping performance to celebrate the role theatres played in boosting morale. There will also be celebrity guests who’ll share their own personal connections to VE Day.

BBC News at One

News at One will also cover the formal events to mark VE Day and hear from veterans and those who remember the momentous day.

BBC News at Six and Ten

On the Bank Holiday Monday the news bulletins will be reporting on street parties around the UK. In the run-up to the day itself they’ll be running a series of interviews with veterans, and those who took part in the VE Day celebrations.

On the Thursday Jane Hill be presenting live from London as the day is marked around the UK.

Antiques Roadshow VE Special

Antiques Roadshow marks the 80th anniversary of VE Day with a special episode filmed in Berlin and at Bletchley Park, featuring interviews with veterans and the families of those who took part in the liberation of Europe.

Fiona Bruce travels to Berlin to visit Karlshorst, where Germany’s final surrender took place on 8th May 1945, bringing the war in Europe to an end.

The episode features interviews with a handful of people who played a part in the conflict, including RAF pilot Colin Bell (now 104) who flew 50 missions over Germany; Hazel Halter (now 100), who worked with the secret codebreakers at Bletchley Park; and Jake Jacob (now 99) who travelled from the Caribbean to join RAF groundcrew in England.

The episode also includes an interview with Hans Muncheberg (now 95), who was wounded in battle during the Germans' last stand in Berlin and who reflects on the evils of the Nazi ideology.

Repair Shop VE Special

To mark the 80th anniversary of VE-Day, the Repair Shop team are opening the barn doors to four very special items, each with an extraordinary wartime story behind them.

Horologist Steve Fletcher is honoured to welcome 101-year old Royal Navy veteran John Holloway, who brings with him a very special timepiece. As an engineer on board the aircraft carrier HMS Formidable, John was responsible for servicing the planes and installing the precisely calibrated cockpit clocks that the US pilots relied upon to carry out their missions.

Left in possession of one of these clocks at the end of the war, John gifted it to his beloved wife Connie, and it remained on her bedside table for the rest of her life. But now, with the intricate mechanism no longer working, Steve and his watchmaker son Fred have a delicate and very tricky job on their hands to get it ticking again.

EastEnders

EastEnders is set to air a special episode celebrating 80 years since V.E. Day as the residents of Walford come together to mark the historic milestone in The Queen Vic.

Saturday Kitchen

Saturday Kitchen Live! will kick off the BBC’s VE day 80th Anniversary celebrations on Saturday 3 May with a special episode. Matt Tebbutt will rustle up recipes to bring joy to street parties everywhere. Olly Smith will showcase drinks fit for a celebration day to toast some very special guests- VE Day Veterans from the Royal British Legion.

Who Do You Think You Are?

Actor Ross Kemp came to fame in the 1990s in EastEnders, more recently he’s travelled to some of the most dangerous places in the world as an award-winning documentary presenter. Now he is bringing his investigative skills to his own family history.

Ross starts his journey by visiting his parents. Ross’s dad was a detective, and his mum was a hairdresser; his dad always sought out the truth and his mum loved a story. Ross believes sifting fact from fiction will be the biggest challenge when it comes to his family.

VE Day 80: We Were There – Thursday 1 May, 8pm

As the nation marks 80 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe, the BBC has gathered first-hand accounts from our last veterans – many now more than 100 years old. Rachel Burden traces their stories through six years of conflict to the joy and celebration of VE Day in London and across the UK.

She hears from former servicemen involved in the defeat of Nazi Germany and the liberation of the concentration camp at Belsen - as well as Jamaican volunteers who crossed the Atlantic to serve with British forces.

Former child evacuees and the women who helped drive the war effort at home remember the moment Winston Churchill announced that Germany had surrendered and the Royal Family appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. The "We Were There" project by BBC News has captured the testimony of war veterans throughout the 80th anniversaries of the Second World War since 2019 to form an archive of their voices for future generations.

Dad’s Army at the BBC – Tuesday 6 May 7.30pm

Ever since the first episode was broadcast on the 31st of July 1968 ‘Dad’s Army’ has been one of the most familiar programmes on British television – much-loved, and broadcast repeatedly thanks to the affection it is held in by viewers of all generations.