Biggins is on a Rocky Horror roll (From Echo)

Biggins is on a Rocky Horror roll

11:00pm Thursday 2nd September 2010 in

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CHRISTOPHER Biggins is somewhat at home as the narrator of the Rocky Horror Show.

It’s not just because of his big personality or his penchant for flamboyant costumes.

The 61-year-old actor actually appeared in the original 1975 musical film of the horror-comedy, the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

“The film was fantastic,” he recalls, fondly. “We filmed for ten weeks, made £100 a week and we were stoned everyday. It was brilliant fun.”

Thirty-five years later, Biggins is back in the show, but this time on the stage as a touring production Westcliff’s Cliffs Pavilion for a six-day run from Monday.

Yet despite the success the British film and stage shows now enjoy, it was initially a rather different story.

“We had no idea it was going to be a cult classic,” says Biggins.

“In fact, when it was released it was a flop. It was only when it went to America that it became a success.

“The Americans took it to their hearts and it became an adult pantomime.”

But, of course, it’s not really the Rocky Horror Show with which Christopher Biggins is usually associated.

As a young actor he made his name in the classic prison sitcom Porridge, playing the role of the chubby inmate Lukewarm, from 1974 to 1977.

He also starred as Podge Rowley, in Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, also created by the writing partnership of Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais.

“Porridge was fabulous,” says the performer. “Ronnie Barker was a comic genius and was a joy to be around.

“Who would have thought that more than 30 years later, they’d still be showing it.

“It was wonderful for a young actor to be doing programmes like Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? and Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em.

“But it was really playing Nero in I, Claudius that made my career take off.”

That BBC series, which also starred Brian Blessed, John Hurt and Patrick Stewart, won three Baftas in the UK and an Emmy in America.

As the Eighties arrived, Biggins moved more into children’s TV, using his bubbly personality to great effect in Rentaghost and as the presenter of gameshow On Safari.

It’s a period of his career he has no regrets about.

“With children’s TV, first of all I was insulted,” he reveals.

“Then they mentioned money and I was flattered.

“It was part of my career I would not have changed as I like doing all sorts of different things.”

Another time when cash proved to be a motivating factor for Biggins was the offer to go down under in 2007’s I’m a Celebrity…Get Me out of Here!

The star proved a huge success with the public and was crowned king of the jungle.

“I did it for the money,” says Biggins, without hesitation.

“I thought it would be very nice to get a pension. I loved every moment of it and it was a life-changing experience for me.”

It’s no doubt the fun element of Biggins’s character that helped secure the TV show win, is also the one that makes him such an in-demand panto performer.

Regularly cast as Widow Twankey in Aladdin, he has appeared in Christmas shows for 40 years, and this year will once again play the role in Wolverhampton.

As well as this, Biggins has also secured another judging slot alongside Torvill and Dean, on the next tour of Dancing on Ice.

Asked if he’d be getting his skates on for the occasion, he replies: “Don’t be so stupid.”