See some of your favourite TV shows recorded live in and around London.

There are many production companies that offer free audience tickets to TV and radio show recordings and broadcasts.

When you are part of a TV audience you get to see some of the biggest and best entertainers and you may even get the chance to take part yourself.  You get the chance to see how special effects are created and of course, you get to see the ‘cock-ups’.

Some studios offer backstage tours – The BBC television centre is one.  Take a look at the BBC Tours website for more information.

I have searched the internet and found several websites that might be of interest to you with a few notes on each of them below.
It is a good idea to look at these sites every few days as new shows are being added all the time and you have to be quick sometimes if it is a very popular show.

You can register to receive emails from each of these sites as they email and offer free tickets when they are available.  Another way is to like their facebook or twitter pages.

Applause Store

Applause Store is the World’s largest No1 independent FREE TV audience tickets provider.  Choose from hundreds of TV shows from all channels, BBC, ITV, Chanel 4, SKY, DAVE and more.

Get exclusive tickets to the X-Factor, Brit Awards, Britain’s Got Talent, Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, Top Gear, Celebrity Juice, Big Brother, Take me out, Catch Phrase and more.

The show schedule is updated daily and lists all of the free audience tickets available. You click ‘All Shows’ in the top menu then you select a show you would like to attend.  Make your ticket request by clicking your chosen date.  If you have not received an e-ticket directly to your email 48 hours PRIOR to your chosen date, you have not been successful.  Some of their shows are incredibly popular, so all tickets are sent at random.

Applause store have a priority club

On certain occasions depending on distance, travel arrangements and if people have been turned away from a previous show, they issue priority tickets which guarantee entrance into the studio.

If you fancy receiving exclusive club member emails, exciting special offers and priority tickets (subject to availability), then their membership club is for you!  Although you do not have to become a member of the applause store club to receive any of their free audience tickets.  The cost is £24 a year.  If you are only interested in one particular show/series it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to join as they cannot guarantee that they will be able to accommodate your request. But  I think it is definitely a good idea if you plan on attending lots of shows in the coming year. An annual club membership fee is for administration and VAT costs only.

As well as being in the audience you can take part in a show on this link

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SRO Audiences

Although they are called ‘Standing Room Only’, at almost all of the shows their audiences are seated.  They have been around for over 24 years and have worked on many shows over the years.

Applying for tickets is easy! Have a look at the current shows, and follow the instructions.  All tickets are FREE  but bear in mind that studio space is limited, so do apply early.

Current shows (March 2016) are:

Alan Carr Chatty Man, Loose Women, The Voice, The Last Leg, The Jonathan Ross Show, The Graham Norton Show, 8 out of 10 cats does countdown, Comic Relief.  Register with SRO Audiences

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Lost in TV

Lost in TV has some big-name shows, especially for ITV.  They also look for participants for new shows so it’s an interesting site to see what shows are being planned.

Free tickets to some of your favourite ITV shows including The Chase, The Cube, The Paul O’Grady Show, Surprise Surprise, Children in Need, Big Star’s Little Star, Derren Brown and many more!

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BBC      Shows, Tours & Take part

The BBC is the largest provider of free television and radio tickets in the UK.  They work on over a thousand shows each year.

The BBC is currently asking you to join their mailing list for information on Strictly Come Dancing 2016, Later with Jools Holland

Tours

See what happens behind the scenes of your favourite BBC show with an entertaining guided tour.  There are various tours all over the country.

Take Part

Ever wanted to appear in your favourite BBC show?  The BBC is always looking for contestants or contributors for their shows.  Take a look here at the shows.

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Be on Screen

As well as free audience tickets this site is looking for people to take part in TV shows and be featured in magazines.  Register here

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TV Recordings.com

The shows available are listed down the right-hand side of the site. If you see one you would like tickets for click the link and register. When you register TVRecordings. com automatically add you to their email mailing list to send you new show announcements, and also occasional updates on some of the Artists they have featured.  Register here

The types of shows they have tickets for are:

Unspun with Matt Forde, Stand Up Central Showcase, Taskmaster with Greg Davies and Alex Horne, Heresy Series 10, Russell Howard’s Stand Up Central.

‘Like’ their Facebook page to get Free Comedy tickets from TVRecordings.com

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Applying for free audience tickets is not a guarantee that you will get them or if you do get them that you will be able to get a seat as some people order more tickets than they need and the studios need to compensate for these ‘no shows’ by issuing more tickets than there are seats available.  For this reason, it is always advisable to arrive at the studios as early as you can (approximately 45 minutes) before the doors open.  For popular shows, some people queue up outside for 2 hours before the doors open.  If you do not get in then you will be offered priority seating on a future recording.

People who repeatedly book more tickets than they need or do not use any of them will risk being refused in the future.

You should always check the age restrictions before applying for tickets as most shows require audience members to be at least 16 or 18 due to content although some admit children as young as 10 or 14.

Most television shows take between 1.5 and 2.5 hours to record 1 half-hour episode so be patient and allow plenty of time as you usually can’t move from your seat once recording starts.  The studio staff will do their best to keep you entertained during set changes or if there are any technical hitches delaying proceedings.

It is best to eat before you attend the show because, although some studios have bars/cafes available and some shows occasionally provide free snacks and drinks there is no guarantee that there will be food available and the bar/cafe could be closed.

The studios offer these tickets Free of charge but it has been found that some people have been selling/advertising the tickets on various websites including eBay.  If anyone is found to be selling their ticket allocation will instantly make them void and they may face formal proceedings against them.  For this reason, tickets are not transferable.  When you arrive at a show, you may be asked for ID. Anyone selling or purchasing tickets will not be admitted.