Comedian, actor, singer and all-round entertainer, Brian Conley is coming home to Hertfordshire - and not just to visit his mum, who still lives in Watford. The 54-year-old, who grew up in Leavesden, is touring with his brand-new revival of his variety show Alive and Dangerous, which is full of some of his best-known and loved material from the screen and onstage.

The father of two teenage girls, has graced our TV screens for the last four decades, from appearing in the ITV sitcoms The Grimleys and Time After Time, for which he won a National Television Award for Most Popular Television Performer, to hosting one of the most-watched programmes in the ‘90s, The Brian Conley Show and presenting the Royal Variety Performance five times as well as performing on it an incredible six times.

“I’ve done it all,” Brian admits, “My life, what I have done, it’s for my kids and my wife. I have enjoyed having my family with me through it all.

“I love doing shows and working with Sir Cameron Mackintosh last year in his production of Barnum. That was amazing.”

Cutting his teeth at the Barbara Speake Stage School in London when he was 12-years-old, Brian started out as a comedian. He says: “When I was a kid, I used to sing and that was something that I was naturally good at so I trained in that and at stage school I learnt the craft of performing.

“After stage school I used to work as a Pontins Blue Coat at their holiday camps and that’s where I got into comedy. We used to do comedy shows where we also sang songs in a band. But my big break on TV came I was cast to appear on the comedy show Make me Laugh.”

Brian went on to appear in comedy shows such as The Laughter Show and Five Alive, before hosting his first comedy sketch show - Brian Conley: This Way Up. However, his career only took off after he appeared in the West End. He debuted as Bill Snibson in the production of Me & My Girl, but cemented his reputation with the Olivier Award-winning Jolson at the Victoria Palace Theatre, where his performance of Al Jolson also saw him secure a personal Olivier Award nomination.

And since then, the former BBC midweek National Lottery presenter, who says one of his inspirations was American comedian Bob Hope, has gone on to do a whirlwind of things, from pantomime’s to presenting quiz shows and even being a contestant on the much-loved yet gruesome ITV reality show, I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.

He says: “I’m lucky enough that my work is like my hobby and of course I enjoy being a dad. I like going to see musicals with my family and friends - we actually went to see Phantom of the Opera recently.

“My next ambition is to play Miss Trunchbull in the musical Matilda - the part is famously played by a man and I would love to do it.”

Brian, who now lives in Windsor, adds that he has a busy year ahead of him. As well as the tour he has a new BBC show coming out next month called The TV That Made Me and is also once again will be playing one of his favourite characters, Buttons, in Cinderella over the Christmas period.

Brian Conley is at The Spotlight, Broxbourne on April 3, 01992 441946 TheSpotlight@broxbourne.gov.uk and Richmond Theatre on Sunday, February 28 at 8pm