Christopher Biggins QUITS panto as he says six weeks of shows left him exhausted
The ex-CBB star said that he now has other priorites
CHRISTOPHER Biggins has said that he is quitting panto after revealing that six weeks of shows left him exhausted.
The former CBB star, who played Widow Twankey at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham last Christmas, added that the shows "almost killed" him.
The 67-year-old was speaking at Nottingham City Business Club's annual Christmas lunch, held at the Park Plaza Hotel when he revealed the news.
He said: "I'm taking a sabbatical because as much as I adored last year's panto – which was really special for its 150th birthday celebration and broke box office records – it almost killed me.
"I had two shows a night for six weeks, with 13 costume changes in each show.
"I'm loving the sabbatical so much that the Theatre Royal panto might be my last.
"We will have to wait and see but as you get older there's more priorities in your life – like enjoying it.
"Going to the theatre at midday and not coming out again until 10pm, then going straight to bed is not much of a life for six weeks."
In January Biggins, who has also featured in sitcom Porridge and co-hosted Surprise Surprise, was honoured with his own seat at the Theatre Royal joining panto icons David Hasselhoff and Su Pollard.
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He added: "The Theatre Royal is one of the most beautiful theatres in the country so the city is very lucky to have such a theatre in its midst and also with the Royal Concert Hall next door you get so much variety in one building, it's fantastic.
"Long may it continue because it's difficult to find the content to put in both these huge buildings but they seem to do it really well and there's always something exciting going on – whether it's classical music, opera, ballet or big West End theatre productions."
It's fair to say that Biggins has had a bad year this year.
The star was kicked out of Celebrity Big Brother during the summer for making an anti-Semitic joke, but he has slowly been returning to the world of showbiz and made an appearance on Good Morning Britain in November.
He was cleared by TV watchdog Ofcom over biphobic comments he made on Channel 5’s Celebrity Big Brother.
The 67-year-old was removed from the Channel 5 reality show in August following a number of biphobic and anti-semitic remarks, many of which were cut before broadcast.
However in one exchange that did make it to air, the pantomime star was discussing the LGBT community with fellow housemate Renee Graziano and said: “I think the worst type though, I’m afraid to say, the bisexuals.
“What it is is people not wanting to admit they are gay.”
His comments provoked 44 complaints, but Ofcom has now given its verdict, stating Biggins’ words were “within the audience’s expectations”.
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