Telford panto star Bernie Clifton in Royal Variety Show alongside Sting, Robbie Williams and Barry Gibb
The star of Telford's Sleeping Beauty has described how he missed the panto's dress rehearsal to appear in The Royal Variety Show.
Bernie Clifton appeared on ITV alongside Sting, Robbie Williams, and Barry Gibb as part of a running gag by compere David Walliams that he was the star act. He said it had been a "mad but exciting rush".
"We rehearsed until about 10pm the night before, then I was picked up, took straight to London and did a surprise entrance at the end of the show which was all David Walliams's idea.
"Throughout the show David referred to me and my comedy ostrich as "top of the bill", but there was a chance that we couldn't make it. Then, of course right, at the end the world's stars peeled back to reveal the top of the bill and in charged me with the ostrich.
"In my whole life there's never been anything like it, all those faces applauding me.
"I've done a lot of things in my time but this was absolutely surreal.
"David Walliams was wonderful, he wouldn't let me go."
