roman kemp joined Alex Jones to announce “amazing” news minutes into The One Show on March 9 (ET). The presenters revealed that Paddington Bear’s stage musical collected nine WhatsOnStage Awards on March 8 (ET), following Paddington’s appearance on the programme’s March 6 (ET) edition tied to the 500 Words grand final at Windsor Castle. The announcement came at the top of the episode as the duo welcomed guests Elaine Paige, Tina Sinatra, Joel Harper-Jackson and Reverend Richard Coles.
Roman Kemp and Alex Jones open with Paddington announcement
The reveal was delivered immediately as the episode began. Roman opened by thanking viewers for the reaction to the Friday 500 Words grand final at Windsor Castle, saying, “We wanted to start by saying thank you for the amazing reaction to Friday’s 500 Words grand final at Windsor Castle. ” Alex followed: “One person who made a special appearance on the big night was Paddington Bear, and we must say congratulations to Paddington, because he picked up an amazing nine awards for his musical last night. ” Roman added it was “very impressive. ” The hosts’ remarks framed the awards haul as the standout story of the opening segment.
Paddington The Musical’s awards haul and named winners
Paddington The Musical dominated the WhatsOnStage Awards on March 8 (ET), taking nine prizes after its West End launch. The wins included Best New Musical and Best Professional Debut for 17-year-old performer Timi Akinyosade. Acting honours on the night went to Rachel Zegler, Jonathan Bailey, Amber Davies and Sir Stephen Fry. The production also earned recognition for direction, costumes, make-up and sound design, matching the highest tally for a new show and equalling a joint record previously held by other major productions.
Immediate reactions from presenters and theatre figures
Presenters and industry names on the broadcast framed the sweep as a clear sign of the show’s impact. Alex Jones, presenter of The One Show, described the result while Roman Kemp, co-presenter of The One Show, emphasised the scale of the achievement. Darius Thompson and Alex Wood of WhatsOnStage commented on the outcome: “The voters really did look after that Bear! Paddington’s record-setting awards haul has firmly cemented it as a fan-favourite new addition to the West End. ” Those remarks underscore the public and voter enthusiasm that propelled the production through the awards round.
Paddington’s appearance on the programme’s March 6 (ET) edition—aired as part of the 500 Words final at Windsor Castle—preceded the awards night and was referenced directly by the presenters when opening the March 9 (ET) episode. The sequence of appearances and awards created a narrative across the three-day span highlighted on air.
Quick context: the stage production draws on Michael Bond’s original children’s books and the recent film adaptations and opened in the West End at the Savoy Theatre in November. Early critical and audience response following that launch was reflected in the sweep of theatre-voted awards on March 8 (ET).
What happens next
Expect follow-up coverage and further cast and creative interviews in coming days as the team behind Paddington The Musical and performers respond to the awards haul. The One Show’s presenters flagged the wins in the opening minutes, and roman kemp can be expected to revisit the story on air as additional reactions and appearances are scheduled to unfold.
