Panto king Phil Walker returns to King George's Hall, Blackburn, this year with the starring role in Jack and the Beanstalk. We caught up with him after the opening show.

TWO-and-a-half hours of whipping hundreds of children into an ear-splitting state of excitement under an unbearably hot spotlight would leave most of us needing a lie down in a darkened room.

But Phil Walker looks remarkably relaxed after stepping off stage from the opening show.

Jack and the Beanstalk is his sixth panto in Blackburn - but he insists he's not bored of kids yelling "he's behind you" at him.

"Not at all, I absolutely love it," he said. "The rest of the year I do stand-up so it's nice to put that away for a month or so and be a kid again.

"I don't think it'd feel like it was Christmas for me if I didn't do pantomime now. Christmas just isn't as exciting when you're an adult and doing panto brings that back to you."

This year Phil plays the role of Tommy Trott - another of his trademark daft-but-funny characters - and yet again steals every scene he's in.

And he reckons this year's show is the best yet.

"The pantos get better every year," he said. "Jack in the Beanstalk is actually my favourite pantomime because it has everything - the fairy, the hero, the giant, and lots of comedy. Its quite magical. Most importantly, the kids love it."

A great thing about panto, said Phil, is that when it all comes crashing down around your ears, the audience love it all the more.

"Nothing can go wrong in panto because the audience are in it with you - they love it. In fact they look out for it," he said.

"I thought it was quite funny today when I came on stage dressed as Jordan and one of my inflatable boobs popped. I had to do a quick ad-lib and that actually got a bigger laugh.

"Panto isn't like a straight theatre show. The audience love it if the cast get something wrong and start laughing."

The son of former Catchphrase host Roy "say what you see" Walker, Phil was raised on a diet of variety shows. His father urged him to follow in his footsteps and pursue a career in the limelight.

"What inspired me to go into showbiz? I ask myself that each week!" said Phil with his trademark guffaw.

"When I first left school I wanted to be a professional golfer but after a few years it wasn't quite working out and it became a case of finding something else.

"I drifted for a few years doing various jobs then my dad said Why don't you be a Blue Coat at Pontins?' So that's what I did. I went to Great Yarmouth. I was quite shy at that stage and it really brought me out of my shell. My stand up started from there and I've never looked back."

Phil is passionate about Blackpool's tradition of variety continuing.

"When we were growing up we'd spend every summer wherever my dad was doing the seasonal show with people like Russ Abbot and Freddie Starr. One year we'd be in Yarmouth, the next Scarborough. All these places have become one nighters except Blackpool which has kept the summer show alive.

"It's a shame really but in another way it's also great that Blackpool is the last bastion. I think the casinos coming to Blackpool could be a good thing because it'll mean more shows. They need to focus on keeping the entertainment for the whole family."

Phil's best piece of advice, he said, comes from his dad.

"He always said believe in yourself and never let anyone say you're not good enough'. He taught me that if anyone says you're rubbish you just take it on the chin and keep going with it. This is a hard business and everyone has auditions that they're turned away from. You have to just carry on and believe the next job will be yours."

Unlike many children of famous parents, Phil is refreshingly happy to speak about his dad - and is obviously proud of his success.

"My dad is having a bit of a renaissance at the moment with Chris Moyles's Carpark Catchphrase," he said.

"He's got a whole new student fanbase and is touring around student unions all over the country.

"I bought him a great T-shirt the other day it says Trust me, I'm famous'. He wears it down the gym."

See Phil in Jack and the Beanstalk at King George's Hall, Blackburn, until December 31. Details from the box office on 01254 58525852.