BBC viewers were treated to a surprise performance from Black Sabbath, fronted by Ozzy Osbourne, as the 2022 Commonwealth Games came to a conclusion in style on Monday night with a superb closing ceremony.
As the rousing event came to an end, Black Sabbath took to the stage in Birmingham to perform Paranoid after a ‘special guest’ had been teased by commentators throughout proceedings.
Taking place live at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium after 11 days of sporting action, viewers were treated to two hours of entertainment and rousing performances.
Artists including UB40 and Dexys Midnight Runners played at the final send off to the Commonwealth Games, which also featured a sequence from dance theatre show Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby.
Wolverhampton's Beverley Knight and Walsall's Jorja Smith were also part of the West Midlands line-up, which celebrated the musical heritage of the region over the years.
Following the appearance of Ozzy alongside Tony Iommi on guitar, Adam Wakeman on bass and Tommy Clufetos on drums, BBC viewers took to Twitter to celebrate.
One viewer wrote: “Go Ozzy!!! One of my fav tunes!” as another tweeted: “WELL DONE OZZY OSBOURNE!!! What a way to close the games.”
One emotional viewer penned: “Amazing Commonwealth Games. Loved it all. Birmingham you did us proud.”
Ahead of the rousing event, chief creative officer of the Birmingham Games Martin Green said the closing ceremony would “celebrate the vibrant energy and cultural heritage of this incredible city”.
He said: "With this closing ceremony, we wanted to create a spectacular line-up of global artists from the West Midlands for an exhilarating musical production to conclude an unforgettable 11 days of sport and culture.
"The medley of high-octane performances will celebrate the vibrant energy and cultural heritage of this incredible city, as we bring these spectacular home Games to a fitting end."
Prime Minister Boris Johnson added ahead of the end to the Games: "The past 11 days have been a shining example of the power of sport in strengthening the ties between our unique partnership of Commonwealth nations."
There were 72 nations represented in the Games, with over 4,000 athletes involved. The next Commonwealth Games are set to be held in Australia and viewers watched as the hosting rights were symbolically handed over to the state of Victoria on Monday night.
The Commonwealth Games 2022 closing ceremony is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
