Ahead of panto season at the Playhouse, TV presenter Rav Wilding spoke to the Epsom Guardian about his stage debut as the lead in Beauty and the Beast.

The former Crimewatch presenter and Strictly Come Dancing contestant will be joined on stage by Holly Atterton, of Nick Jr. fame, and special guest star ventriloquist Sam Jones.

Having never graced the stage before – despite numerous panto offers in the past – Mr Wilding said it was the enthusiasm and the ‘light-hearted feel’ of this production that swung it for him.

Speaking at an official launch event, 37-year-old said: “I came down to meet all the organisers and the whole thing just had the right feel.

"It’s absolutely all about having fun and giving it a real go. No one’s taking themselves too seriously, which is great because it’s all about putting on a good show.

“I only just met my castmates today, but they all seem really nice and friendly. It was quite surreal really – a minute after we said hello we were suddenly all in costume!”

What made Epsom Playhouse stand out, he said, was how community-oriented the production is, with a big emphasis on getting local cubs and scouts groups along to the shows.

He said: “It just has a really good community feel to it, and Epsom’s a lovely place. I live in Twickenham, not a million miles away, and I come here a fair bit for cycling.

“It’s just a gorgeous place isn’t it?”

But whether or not a long career in panto lies ahead very much depends on this year’s run, he said with a hint of nerves.

“Just ask me on January 3!”

Beauty and the Beast will run at the Epsom Playhouse between Dec 13 and January 3. Go to epsomplayhouse.co.uk