This is Bristol --DRESSED in a sparkling, sequined tunic and pink tights that left little to the imagination, flamboyant entertainer Louie Spence was prancing, preening and posing for the cameras outside The Bristol Hippodrome yesterday.
The loose-limbed star was giving it the full jazz-hands treatment – and if he's like this off stage, one can only imagine just how camp Christmas is going to be at the Hippodrome this year.
The superstar dancer and reality TV favourite, who recently endured a stint in the Celebrity Big Brother house, is starring as Dandini in the Hippodrome's glamorous panto, alongside singer and actress Suzanne Shaw as Cinderella and Hippodrome favourite Andy Ford as Buttons.
Louie, who wowed audiences and broke box office records when he performed the role in Milton Keynes last year, made a special request to take to the stage in Bristol this Christmas.
Louie said, "I'm raring to go and looking forward to getting my panto sparkle back on this Christmas.
"The Bristol Hippodrome is such a famous theatre and has such a great reputation that I can't wait to get started.
"I'm really looking forward to it and I'm sure the audiences and I will have a ball!"
The dancer, diva and all-round drama queen promises to bring a whole ton of fairy dust to Cinderella.
"I'm Prince Charming's right- hand-man," says Louie, who somehow manages to make everything sound like an innuendo.
"I'm not your typical Dandini, shall we say. There's a lot more glitz, glamour and sparkle.
"Plus there will be plenty of fun for the adults as well as the children – there's something for everyone.
"This is a really good quality show," he continued.
"Some pantomimes can have dodgy sets and are a bit make-do-and-mend, but this has wonderful sets and costumes, great choreography and a fabulous cast.
"We're really splashing out on this one. That's very important to me – I wouldn't do something that was sub-standard. I'm not prepared to just take the money and run."
Behind the larger-than-life personality, pouts and winks, it's clear that Louie is the ultimate professional.
He's a stickler for being on time and puts 100 per cent into everything he does.
"Whatever I'm doing, I give it my all. What's the point of doing it if you don't give it your best?
"Pantomime is hard work, but audiences can be assured that they will get 100 per cent from me every night without fail. Every audience pays the same, expects the same and deserves the same.
"You can't let them down."
Louie became a household name thanks to the tongue-in-cheek 2010 documentary series Pineapple Dance Studios, but he was already well-known in showbiz circles.
"It all started when my mum wanted to get rid of us all and go shopping," grins Louie, with a glint in his eye, "so she stuck my sisters and me in a dance school.
"But once I was in the Lycra, I just couldn't get out!"
The talented dancer went on to forge a successful career that saw him perform in the original award-winning casts of Miss Saigon and CATS and dance with pop legends including Tina Turner, Ray Charles, Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Take That and the Spice Girls.
He said: "I've done some great shows and worked with some great people. I adored CATS, which I know is coming to Bristol soon, and travelling around the world with the Spice Girls was a whole lot of fun and a great experience for a dancer."
Louie has since appeared in ITV sitcom Benidorm, was given his own series, Louie Spence's Showbusiness, became a regular on radio and TV panel shows and was a judge on Dancing On Ice.
Our flexible friend, well known for tucking his legs behind his head or jumping into the splits at the drop of a hat, will be showcasing his talents in Cinderella, which boasts some stunning dance sequences.
"There are some really good dance numbers in there," he enthused, "including a wonderful tap number near the finale which really is West End standard.
"The audience will see that I am a professional dancer and not just a reality star that has been plucked out of nowhere and stuck in a pantomime.
"I've been doing this all my life, dahling!"
Cinderella appears at The Bristol Hippodrome from Friday, December 6, to Sunday, January 5. Tickets cost £10-£35. Tel 0844 871 3012 or visit www.atgtickets.com/bristol. Reported by This is 4 days ago.
