PALS... IF HOME COUNTRY COMES CALLING
Manchester to do the same show. Both the Krankies and I thought at the time it was the wrong thing to do but we did it as we were loyal to the company. We were proved right.”
Manchester mum- of- two Natalia Wood made headlines across the UK after claiming her family were appalled by the constant double entendres in the show, including the line “Alice loves Dick” and Janette poking her pinkie through the fly on her schoolboy shorts.
John, who grew up in Mount Vernon, Glasgow, said: “One woman was able to create a storm of controversy about a joke Janette and I had done for 10 years – get a grip, get a sense of humour – that’s what panto is all about. It’s innuendo which goes over the kids’ heads.
“The person who did the complaining could have left but they sat and watched the whole show and then posted on Instagram how wonderful a time they were having with their family. It’s stupid.
“We did not feel we got any support from the company employing ying us and when we confronted ted them, they turned around und and said we were not the he draws we used to be – bloody cheek.
“St ick us back in n Glasgow and we wi l l show you the draw we have. We will sell out, which is more than they are doing now. Never before have they had to drop their ticket price to £10 like they did last year.
“If panto won’t have us backback, Janette, Ian and I have talked about coming back with a Christmas variety sketch show that we could take on tour round Scotland, so watch this space.”
Despite no longer getting his panto on, the Torchwood star has been keepingkee busy – comingcom third in last year’s I’m A CelebrityCel and gearinggear up to be the newn judge on ITV’sITV’ Dancing on Ice. Ice
John,John who was a contestantcontes on the first seasonse of the skating show back in 2006, saidsai he will be a very differentdif judge to Mr NastyN Jason Gardiner and is delighted to make his panel debut the year when the first same-sex couple – Matt Evers and Ian Watkins (H from Steps) – take to the ice. He said: “I’ve judged before on all three of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s search for a star shows, so I’m looking forward to dusting off my judging cap.
“I don’t see it as stepping into Jason’s shoes. He is very good at what he does but he is a very different judge to what I will be. I can’t tell you how I am going to
Emily, Harr y and John in the jungle judge as I haven’t seen any of the skaters yet. I might say something that might be controversial, you never know.
“I’ve already said to the other panellists Chris, Jayne and Ashley Banjo, the one I will bring that is different is that I have actually done it.
“I know what the competitors feel like when they are getting ready to skate through that tunnel. I have experienced the nerves, the anticipation, the amount of time they have put in, the pain and the injuries.
“You have to jump off the cliff, open your wings and soar. That’s how I try to live my life. I will be watching for all that stuff. I want to sit back and I want to be entertained.
“If they are going to get a fabulous from me, it has to be really, really good.”
John, who married his partner Scott Gill in 2013, added: “I am really proud to be a judge on the first show to have a same-sex couple dancing.
“It spreads the message that dancing isn’t about what you superficially look like – it’s how you skate on the ice that matters. Its about what you do, not about who you are skating with.”
If they want a fabulous from me, it has to be very good