Dame Elaine Paige has revealed she no longer has the stamina for eight shows a week, hinting that her theatre days may be behind her. The 78-year-old appeared on ITV's This Morning on Thursday (August 13) to discuss the annual West End Woofs (and Meows) charity adoption event and her 60-year career.
Retirement thoughts on This Morning
Asked by presenters Rochelle Humes and Andi Peters whether she would retire, Paige replied: "Well it's difficult isn't because I'm doing my radio show every week which I love, and I've just made this album so, it doesn't look like it. No."
But regarding musical theatre, she confessed: "I can't do eight shows a week anymore. I just don't have the stamina for it. And also, my time in life, I want to be able to do the other things I didn't do, over all my years devoted to the theatre."
Honours and new album
In 2025, Paige was made a dame by King Charles. In April this year, she received a special Olivier Award, with Queen Camilla calling her "a truly defining figure in musical theatre".
Her new album, Miscellaneous Paige, features pop covers rather than show tunes. Paige told This Morning she chose songs she loved in her youth. The show airs weekdays from 10am on ITV1.
