Sir Ian McKellen, 85, delights fans as he makes surprise return to the stage as King Richard for Palladium pantomime - months after horror fall forced him to withdraw from play

Sir Ian McKellen delighted fans as he made a surprise return to the stage with an unscheduled appearance in pantomime Robin Hood, at the London Palladium on Saturday evening.

The actor, 85, who suffered a number of injuries after falling off the stage during a performance of Player Kings in June, was decked out in a colourful costume to play the role of King Richard.

Comedian Julian Clary, who plays Robin Hood announced his entrance, as he exclaimed 'and now please welcome to the stage King Richard, and he looks a lot like Sir Ian McKellen...'

The crowd went wild for the legendary Lord Of The Rings actor actor who was pulled onto the stage in light up chariot.

He wore long flowing velvet robes that were adorned with faux fur, gold embellishments and completed with a crown. 

Addressing the audience Sir Ian exclaimed: 'Hello, this is my debut at the London Palladium! And like you all I too love panto.'

He then joked: 'I can't take it as low as you Julian as I am an actor!' before teasing fellow star Nigel Havers:  'Remember real acting Nigel. Look, watch and listen'. 

The X Men star then brandished his sword as he switched back into character before being wheeled off to rapturous applause.

Fans were quick to flood social media with their reaction at seeing the legendary actor back on his feet.

One wrote: 'What a show with an appearance by Sir lan McKellen Simply iconic!'

A second wrote: 'Sir lan McKellen's debut at the Palladium Panto. What a Christmas treat! @PalladiumPanto 

And one particularly excited audience member revealed that Sir Ian's appearance caused him to have something of a profane outburst. 

They said: 'I was there this afternoon and when they said lan McKellen I let out an involuntary 'F****** hell!' And to hear 'You shall not pass' for real was a proper goose bumps moment.' 

In September Sir Ian insisted 'I'll be back' after suffering a chipped vertebrae and fractured wrist after his West End fall. 

The actor lost his footing during a fight scene in Player King on June 17 at the Noel Coward Theatre in London before falling into the shocked audience.

Two-time Oscar nominee Sir Ian has since been recovering and has also revealed a fat suit he was wearing for his role as Falstaff saved him from being seriously injured.

In his first television interview about the fall, Sir Ian told BBC Breakfast: 'I think I'm fine. It was a nasty fall. And it was a shock, initially. But I fractured my wrist. It's what every kid does when he falls off his bike. And chipped a vertebrae.'

Sir Ian was also asked how the incident happened, and explained. 'I am moving about, got my foot caught in the remains of a chair, which I tried to kick off.

'In doing that, I propelled myself forward, as it were, on a skateboard, on the newspaper, shiny surface, down to the forestage, and then off the stage which was a 3ft drop - partly broken by a member of the audience on the front row.'

Sir Ian, who played John Falstaff in the play, a production adapted by Robert Icke from Shakespeare's Henry IV, parts one and two, also revealed that the incident could have been worse had it not been for his costume.

He continued: 'I was extremely lucky in that I was wearing a padded suit, because Falstaff, the part I was playing, is fat. It wasn't that I'd got dizzy or anything like that. It was a pure accident. So I count myself lucky that it's beginning to be a distant memory.'

After a run in London, the play moved to the Bristol Hippodrome before being staged in Birmingham, Norwich and Newcastle. 

And Sir Ian said: 'It did mean then that I couldn't do the tour, so if it's a chance for me to apologise to the audiences in Bristol, Birmingham, Norwich and Newcastle - I'm sorry I wasn't there, but I'll be back.'

He also told the Big Issue that he has been 'left feeling weak physically' from the fall and is doing exercise to treat the issue.

The Burnley-born actor added: 'Of course, it's emotional. We all trip all our lives, it's just when you get to my age you can't always get up again.'

Sir Ian suggested he is concerned that the fall, which left him with injuries including a chipped vertebrae and fractured wrist, could have been the result of him getting old.

'I'm just trying to convince myself it was an accident,' he said.

'I'm usually working or preparing to work, I've been doing a little bit of that, wondering what might be the best plan. I'm going to take the rest of the year off. Not because I need to, just because I want to.'