Christopher Biggins' hope for Ruth Langsford after 'pressure' of Eamonn Holmes marriage

Pantomime legend Christopher Biggins has opened up on his incredible career, I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! stint, and his close famous friendships

King of panto Christopher Biggins is ready to take a bow from the stage after this year’s Christmas show.

Looking back on his 60 years in showbiz and working with some of the biggest names in telly, the 75-year-old entertainer reveals his plans for a slower pace of life. The I’m A Celebrity favourite announced he was "retiring" from panto eight years ago - only to continue performing in shows ever since.

So will he actually be bowing out this time? Oh yes he is, insists Biggins. “I think it would be silly to keep going on,” he said. “I mean, it's tempting but no. You don't want to keep going until you're really not enjoying it, do you? I would miss it, but I think I'd miss it for about three or four days, and then I'd relax. I have not had a proper Christmas for many years.”

Starring in this year's production of Sleeping Beauty in Woking as The Spirit of Dreams, Biggins, who took part in his first pants 48 years ago, said: “It is 12 performances a week. That's a lot.” Enjoying a career spanning TV and theatre across six decades, Biggins’ roles range from Lukewarm in Porridge to Nero in I, Claudius. The Oldham-born actor and former ITV King of the Jungle has picked up many a showbiz pal along the way.

He counts Dame Joan Collins, Liz Hurley and Eamonn Holmes amongst his inner circle of friends. Giving his insight into the shock breakdown of Eamonn and Ruth Langsford’s marriage this year, Biggins said: “It's a great shame. But I think, you know, for Eamonn, he's not been well, and I think that's a pressure.

“I know Ruth as well. I hope she does (meet someone), but she might not. You want to meet someone. But you know, you may get to that point in your life where you think, ‘Well, I've been there, done that. Do I need to put myself through it again?’ Whatever she does, we're behind her. People grow out of each other.”

Spending his summers soaking up the luxury in the South of France with Joan Collins, it was through the Dynasty star that he met Hollywood actress Liz Hurley. The Bedazzled actress made quite an impression on Biggins. “She is an incredible girl. She's very special, and now a very good friend," he said of his time with Liz in Joan's house.

There are many legends he’s lost along the way, including Barbara Windsor, Cilla Black and Paul O’Grady. Biggins says he owes a lot to EastEnders icon Babs for teaching him a very important lesson. “Barbara was wonderful,” he remembered. “She taught me a lot. She taught me how to deal with the public and be nice because at the end of the day, they're the people who put you there.”

And he says it’s the public he’s got to thank for the pinnacle of his career. “People say to me, what's the best thing you've done? Now, I could have said I, Claudius, playing Nero, I could have said sexy crazed vicar in Poldark, I could say working in the RSC. But my answer to the question is, I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here because at the end of the day, it was the public that voted for me. I won and I became King of the Jungle in I’m A Celebrity because of them.

"It's very, very important because the public, they're not fools. And I think it's a shame that more people in positions of power, like theatre and television, don’t ask the public what they want because often they're forgotten.”

Looking back at his illustrious career as he plans to slow down and spend more time with his partner Neil Sinclair, Biggins said he doesn’t know if he’d have chosen the same path if he was born now. “I’ve been in the business for 60 years now. I started when I was 16. I'm still here, good times and bad times. I don't know what the secret is.

“I certainly wouldn't want to be starting my career now because I think things are changing so much. It's not as much fun. Nowadays, I think it's much more difficult. When I give advice to young kids. I say don't do it because it's not the business it used to be. I know so many actors who are absolutely brilliant and never work and they are talented and it's not anything to do with that. Talent does obviously help, but at the end of the day, it's who you know and what you know and being in the right place at the right time.”

Before hanging up his panto dame costume, Biggins is starring on stage in Woking until January 5 alongside Steps singer and musical theatre star Faye Tozer as Carabosse. “It's a great cast and a great company,” tells Biggins. “I think I’ve done (panto) consistently for almost 50 years. I missed one year because I was out in Australia for the jungle.

“I did do it initially because of the money. It was in the Darlington Civic Theatre. I kept turning it down. I said, ‘No, no, no, I'm an actor. I don't do things like this.’ And they kept offering it to me and eventually, they mentioned money. We're talking 48 years ago and they offered me £1,000 a week. I thought ‘This is ridiculous. I'd better do this.’ I became hooked and I absolutely loved it. And I love it mainly because of the audience.”

*Sleeping Beauty runs until Jan 5 at New Victoria Theatre, Woking.

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads.