Why everyone in TV wants an invitation to the glamorous and exclusive Radio Times Covers Party

The lavish Art Deco ballroom at London's esteemed Claridge's hotel is packed. No, really. Weaving your way across the floor to snag another glass of bubbly from a sharply-attired waiter means quite literally coming face-to-face with Dame Harriet Walter, rubbing shoulders with a Gladiator and taking in the fine details of The Traitors winner Stephen Libby's tailored look up close. Queen star Roger Taylor comments on how bustling it is.

A scattering of glass tables play host to the milling guests' (A-list acting talent, agents, TV executives and more) champagne flues – and a few small signs politely reminding attendees not to bother stars for selfies. The request is futile. The Traitors stars are here and there isn't a person in the room who doesn't want to meet them.

Glitzy as it is, the annual Radio Times Covers Party isn't just a star-studded, celebratory affair; it's also where some of the most powerful names in the world of TV connect, shaping the shows – partnerships, castings, scripts – you watch at home in the coming months and years.

The fizz, the canapés, the upscale Mayfair location and the extravagantly glamorous outfits alone would be enough to cause a clamour for invitations – but in the organic flow of conversations throughout the night, there's a subtler value to be found too.

And you'd better believe it's invitation-only. The unenviable task of wrangling the guest list into shape is overseen by Radio Times planning editor Maria Fyfe – the backbone of an extensive team of staff who pull off this spectacular bash every year.

"The guest list is a tough balancing act," says Fyfe, who for weeks leading up to tonight could be seen juggling requests from agents, talent and colleagues alike. "So much cover talent, so many great people to invite, not enough space. But it's the plus one requests that tip me over the edge and I always need a lie down in a dark room to recover."

Back in the room, the ballroom itself is a grand space but not overwhelmingly large, like stepping into a preserved slide of old-world glamour but with an intimacy that makes for a curated event which doesn't feel impersonal. There are chandeliers, huge floral displays and, off to the right, a generous anteroom aptly named the Mirror Room. Plus, of course, many bars to supplement the waiting staff circulating ceaselessly through the crowd with silver trays of beverages.

Glitz & glamour

The women of Call the Midwife can be spied in their finery – a far cry from their Nonnatus House uniforms. Dame Mary Berry is thrilled to see them relaxing, off the clock.

"It's a very glamorous, sparkling event, and I'm already completely over-awed because the Traitors and Faithfuls are here," says the BAFTA-winning Monica Dolan. "I really hope that I get to talk to them."

This is a far cry from what I'm used to!

"I've only been here 10 minutes. I've met Mark Chapman, who I'm told, looks like me. I think he looks like me, or I look like him. It depends," quips comedian and The 1% Club host Lee Mack. "And Kelly Cates. I know them anyway, but it's nice to catch up and talk about football."

He's also spotted long-time Would I Lie to You? co-star David Mitchell, who is in attendance with his wife and queen of Only Connect, Victoria Coren Mitchell. "We've run out of things to say to each other, so we just sort of awkwardly nodded at each other," he jokes.

Mitchell, meanwhile, dubs the night "a very swanky do".

Everywhere you turn, there's a soap star. Even the majority of the EastEnders' Six showed up, dressed to the nines. It's Suki actress Balvinder Sopal's first time at a Radio Times Covers Party but she looks effortlessly comfortable as she poses for celeb photographer Ray Burmiston in the Mirror Room, where portraits of the guests are being snapped throughout the first half of the evening.

EastEnders' iconic Cindy (Michelle Collins) speaks for everyone when she summarises: "Well, it's at Claridge's, so it's great fun."

Strictly Come Dancing 2025 winner Carlos Gu echoes that sentiment: "I mean, we're in Claridge's and with Radio Times. I think it's the best you could have in January 2026!"

Slow Horses' Christopher Chung sidles past Jessie Wallace, Michael Burke can be found a few metres from Armando Iannucci – there's nowhere to turn without star-spotting.

But it's certainly not just Mr Bates vs The Post Office actress Dolan who's got her eye on the prize of grabbing a few minutes with The Traitors.

"I've seen all of The Traitors cast and I'm just kind of overwhelmed," Olivia Frances Brown (Coronation Street) gushes. "Especially Stephen, the winner."

Darling Faithful Harriet Tyce, who fell spectacularly on her own sword, earning herself an army of fans during her all-too-short tenure on the latest series says it's lovely to be able to reunite with her fellow Traitors contestants, while Stephen, inundated with requests for pictures or nuggets of gossip from the series, admits: "This is a far cry from what I'm used to!"

Influence & sway

In amongst the celebrities and the cocktails, influential connections are being made. "The Covers Party is one of those nights that really matters to us," says Radio Times' deputy digital editor Helen Daly. "It brings together some of the most influential people in television for a genuine celebration of the industry – but it’s also where conversations begin that often grow into something much bigger. Ideas are shared, relationships are formed and we see the early sparks of projects that shape what we cover next."

Case in point: at last year's party, a chat between Radio Times brand editor Shem Law and Aardman's Nick Park led to a handshake deal: the much-coveted Christmas issue cover would be Gromit and the equally iconic Shaun the Sheep. Park is back again this year, wearing a green sequinned bow tie we're told he made himself.

Sir Lenny Henry returns to host the evening. "People like to be acknowledged," he says, after handing the cover stars of the past 12 months framed copies of those very covers. "If you're a production company or an actor or a producer or a writer, it's really nice when people say your work was good. And I think the cover says, 'Your work was good and deserves this.'

It's a chance to meet your heroes

"People treat [the Radio Times Covers Party] as a place to meet their heroes, hustle for work, fall in love if they love somebody. Like I'm a big fan of Victoria Coren, so David Mitchell's always standing behind me," Henry jokes. "But it's a chance to meet your heroes and the people you love watching on the telly. So it's a really great night, and it's at Claridge's, you know – what could be better?!"

Among the TV execs present is Lifted Entertainment's creative director Diego Rincón, attending for the first time. "I can't believe what I've been missing out on!" he says, admiring the "buzzy and collegiate atmosphere". "Judging by the breadth of on- and off-camera talent in attendance, it's also a coveted hot ticket and a fantastic opportunity to catch up with peers and make new important connections as well."

"The Covers Party is where the industry loosens its tie a little," adds deputy head of production at Lifted Entertainment, ITV Studios, Helen Houston. "It’s social, buzzy and you always leave having had at least one conversation that turns into something interesting later."

You walk past somebody like the wonderful David Attenborough, who'll be handing out peanuts to somebody who's in EastEnders

Call the Midwife's Stephen McGann has a different take: the party is like a "cheese dream". "One of the particularly special things about the party is everybody just gets thrown into the same room, like a sort of psychological experiment of British television," he says. "You walk past somebody like the wonderful David Attenborough, who'll be handing out peanuts to somebody who's in EastEnders. It's like a cheese dream. It's wonderful!"

The enduring power of a magazine cover

"I get the Radio Times every week," says Brian & Maggie's Dame Harriet Walter, when asked how it feels to receive her RT cover, frame and all. "I'm a subscriber, and it's actually not the first time I've been on the Radio Times cover, but it was some 30, 40 years ago."

The Gladiators graced a recent cover of the magazine in all their muscle-bound, Lycra-clad glory.

"It is unreal, especially because the shots were so powerful, and they represent who we are as people and the show and what we represent in terms of our values: the power, the strength, the confidence, also the vulnerability in each individual," says Fire, AKA Montell Douglas, here tonight as herself, not a hint of spandex in sight.

Meanwhile, TV baker extraordinaire Dame Mary Berry's framed cover will go in her office – a popular choice as Call the Midwife writer Heidi Thomas notes the same fate awaits hers. Thomas has 23 framed Radio Times covers to date and is running out of room, however. "But I'm married to Dr Turner in the show (McGann)," she says. "He's surprisingly handy with a drill and a step ladder, so I'll get him to put the next ones up for me."

"My mum's really elderly now, and for her to see me on the cover of the Radio Times..." Dolan says. "Now I can go, 'Here you go, Mum.' But also it's really nice for her to talk about, and it makes her really proud. It's just a great honour."

Carriages: 11:15pm

As the evening winds down, the crowd is merry. Feet are sore from dancing (led by on-stage entertainment Alex Horne and The Horne Section) and specially ordered cars are beckoning.

It's been another joyous and glittering celebration of the top TV talent and many a story will be told – some might even make it to screen.

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