09 April 2026
On 4th March, Dame Helen Mirren walked out onto the stage at the Royal Albert Hall to thunderous applause, as the audience waited with bated breath. What followed was quintessential Most Wanted: bold, joyful, lascivious, and entirely unexpected.
Returning for its second instalment, Most Wanted: Gillian Anderson and Friends once again brought together an extraordinary ensemble of female talent for an evening as unique as it was impactful.
Produced in collaboration with Bloomsbury and Fane’s charity partner War Child, and helmed by the inimitable Gillian Anderson, the event paired anonymous sexual fantasies read aloud by surprise celebrity guests with fundraising for children in conflict zones
Aimee Lou Wood, Gillian’s Sex Education co-star, served as Voice of God, while readings from Gemma Chan, Olivia Cooke, Dame Helen Mirren, Golda Rosheuvel, Amy Trigg, Gurinder Chadha, Bel Priestley, Fearne Cotton and Diana Silvers kept the audience rapt throughout. A performance from Joy Crookes and a comedy set from Grace Campbell rounded out the evening.
The night’s most talked-about moment came courtesy of Gillian Anderson herself, who offered a sneak preview from MORE, the forthcoming sequel to Want, announced on the night. The reading in question involved spaghetti. That’s all we’ll say. Those who want to know more will simply have to buy the book.
Most importantly, the evening raised a spectacular £287,399 for War Child. War Child CEO Helen Pattinson joined Gillian onstage as the audience raised their phone torches in a powerful moment of solidarity with children in conflict. A further £11,800 raised through on-the-night donations went directly to War Child’s Middle East Appeal, providing children with protection, psychosocial support, and emergency assistance.
At Fane, we are proud to have played our part in making this evening possible, and proud that events like this reflect the values set out in our accountability charter. When talent, creativity and purpose come together in a room, the results can be extraordinary.
For more events like this, visit fane.co.uk
To learn more about War Child’s work, visit warchild.org.uk
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