Jason Donovan Apologizes to Fans Following Rocky Horror Show Absence

Actor and singer Jason Donovan has conveyed his “truly sorry” sentiments to the “dedicated fans” who attended a theatre anticipating his performance in The Rocky Horror Picture Show on a date he was not scheduled to appear. Theatregoers reported booking tickets under the impression that the former Neighbours star would portray the lead character, Frank-N-Furter, at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens on Saturday, and were subsequently “fuming” upon discovering he would not be on stage. Via Instagram, Donovan expressed gratitude to fans for their “understanding and continued support,” reiterating that he was “truly sorry” if anyone had experienced disappointment. He clarified that he was “never scheduled” to perform on Saturday owing to a “prior commitment,” a detail that was “noted” on both the show’s and the venue’s websites in advance of the performance. The entertainer, known for recording popular songs like Too Many Broken Hearts and Especially For You, further mentioned having viewed a BBC article concerning the fans at Saturday’s performance. He noted that while the narrative of the story was “more balanced,” its headline regarding “my no-show” was deemed “misleading.” The initial headline was amended following the article’s publication to accurately represent the events. Lucie Robertson from Lytham, who had anticipated seeing Donovan perform, commented that it was “a good show, and it’s no reflection on the cast we did see, but we never would have paid to go if it wasn’t for Jason.” She further stated, “He’s who we wanted to see. They got us there under false pretences.” A representative for Donovan indicated that several prior engagements prevented his participation in certain performances of the show’s tour, a fact that was explicitly communicated on both the production’s and the star’s official websites. The BBC has reviewed an email dispatched to a fan by Anthony Williams, who serves as the head of marketing for the council-owned establishment. This correspondence affirmed that the event webpage and its linked ticketing platform “clearly stated from the time of sale that Jason Donovan would not appear during Saturday performances.” It continued, “This information was available to all prospective ticket buyers, and we advise all customers to review event details carefully before completing a purchase.”