Royal Watch News

Gary Barlow's Diamond Jubilee concert fears

Oct 17, 2012, 11:01 GMT

Gary Barlow

Gary Barlow was 'scared to death' Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee concert would be cancelled earlier this summer.

The Take That singer feared the Buckingham Palace spectacle - which he organised to celebrate the monarch's 60th year on the throne - would be scrapped after Britain's Prince Philip was taken ill with a bladder infection just hours before the event was due to start.

He said: 'I must say at 5pm we were all scared to death thinking it was all going to be cancelled.

'But of course the queen showed up, like she always does, and represented the event by herself and at that point we knew, 'Right, all systems go, let's get the show on the road'.

'It did scare us for a second though I must say.'

The 'X Factor' judge admits the star-studded concert - which featured performances from Stevie Wonder, Sir Paul McCartney, Robbie Williams and Dame Shirley Bassey - was a night he will 'never forget' and believes it 'opened up an amazing summer' ahead of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

Speaking at a Buckingham Palace event last night (16.10.12), which was held to thank those who helped with the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, he told the Daily Telegraph newspaper: 'It's probably a night I'll never forget, actually, and stood on that stage while everybody sang the national anthem I couldn't believe I was there.

'I was looking round thinking, 'Are we really here?' It was totally incredible. And luckily everything went to plan and I can tell you that although everything was amazing at the front of the stage, backstage in the artists' village the biggest artists in the world were back there and they were all so proud to have been a part of it.

'Everyone wanted to make it a special night for the queen. I think it opened up an amazing summer for our country.

'I thought the event deserved such notice from everybody and I think everybody was so proud that the queen had made it to this point and the amazing job she's done for so long for us all.

'We were all proud to be a part of it.'