CLOWN prince "Fips" hopes to be still smiling after tonight's crucial Euro 96 semi-final, despite having a German dad and an English mum!

Fips - real name Jan Eric Brenner - is one of the stars of the Circus Harlequin at Witton Park, Blackburn.

But Jan Eric will be in tears if England win, having been a lifelong Germany fan!

"My father Karl met my mother Jane when he was a circus clown in Berlin and she was a dancing girl," explained Jan Eric.

"I was brought up all over Europe but all my grandparents are in Germany and I go back there twice a year."

Jan Eric has been getting some stick throughout the tournament from the English, Russian, Romanian and Bulgarian members of the multi-national circus and he admits he is in a no-win situation.

His prediction: "I would say 2-1 to Germany but if England play as well as they did against Holland and Germany as badly as they played against Croatia, then England will win."

Jan Eric always likes to wear a happy face but he realises most of his East Lancashire audience will be hoping for more tears of a clown tonight.

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