Introduction:
Thank you for joining me tonight for a stroll down memory lane — and what a journey it is. It’s easy, in the fast-moving world of pop music, to lose sight of how icons are made. In the age of instant hits and overnight sensation shows, it’s tempting to think that the next superstar appears with a flash of social media. But tonight I want to remind you of something far more enduring — the kind of talent, charisma and perseverance that transforms a pop idol into a lasting icon.
When I was 11 years old, I plastered my walls with posters and dreamed of being on stage. I remember the rush of listening to hit after hit, and the fantasy of being in the crowd, screaming and waving, hoping someone would look up and smile. And for me, in that moment, the original pop idol was clear. To me, he still is the original pop idol: the one, the only, Donny Osmond.
Now here he is, once again performing at the 75th edition of the Royal Variety Performance in the UK — a show that has in the past welcomed the greatest singers, dancers, comedians and bands of our age. 
Time has marched on, the world of pop has changed, but Donny remains. He stays.
It’s not just about the hits — though they were many. It’s not just about the stage presence — though his lit up the room. It’s about connection, consistency, reinvention. Pop bands come and go. Talent-shows rise and fall. But icons? They last because they evolve, they hold onto their craft, they remember their roots.
I’ll never forget that feeling of pure teenage excitement — the posters, the a-capella singing into the mirror, the hope of a poster boy glance. And then I heard Donny, and it felt like everything clicked. The sheer joy of his voice, the energy he brought. At the 75th Royal Variety Performance, he looked back — acknowledging his first UK appearance alongside his brothers, in the presence of Her Majesty. He said: a lot has changed since then, but the feeling hasn’t. That stage-fright, that exhilaration, that commitment.
Tonight, as he sang one of the songs he performed back then, he invited the audience into that memory. He said: you dance, I’ll sing. There’s something powerful in that — a performer who remembers how to involve the crowd, to bring them along. That’s why he stays.
So here’s to Donny Osmond — to the original pop idol, and to all of us who believe that real stars don’t just shine once, they keep shining. They don’t fade away when the next trend hits; they adapt, they refine, they honour their audience. And they give us something we can keep listening to, years later, with the same excitement.
Thank you, Donny, for reminding us what it means to stay. And thank you, everyone here tonight — for being part of the legacy. Let’s keep the music alive, keep the passion burning, and keep cheering for the artists who deserve it.