Not many men could face spending more than 40 hours of the festive season in front of a dressing table mirror putting on make-up, but panto legend Christopher Biggins dismissed the prospect with a shrug.

“It’s my life — it’s what I do,” declared the 62-year-old, who is starring as Widow Twankey in Aladdin at the Grand Theatre in Wolverhampton.

“I have been doing it every December and January for the past 39 years.

“But if I had one wish, it would be to have somebody put the make-up on for me. That is why I love appearing on TV shows. You just sit back in the chair.

“In panto it is a different story and my changing face is all my own work. It takes at least half an hour every day.”

The routine is always the same. First comes the Mac base powder, then the blue round his eye, followed by eye-liner.

He never wears false eye lashes because they are “too much of a drag act.”

Plenty of red rouge comes next followed by a beauty spot and finally lashings of red lipstick. He said: “I first went through this routine when playing Mother Goose at the Civic Theatre in Darlington 39 years ago.

“I was insulted when they first made the offer because I was sure I was too young but changed my mind after they upped the money. It was the best decision I have ever made. I get into the theatre at 1pm and don’t leave until 10pm. I spend a lot of those nine hours in my dressing room.

“The TV is on all the time because otherwise you wouldn’t have a clue what is going on in the outside world because you are living in the parallel universe of panto land.

“I leave the dressing room at 2.30pm when the matinee starts and come back for a cup of tea and biscuit at the end of act one.

“I don’t take my make-up off until after the evening performance.

“I have a half-hour sleep on the sofa in my dressing room, then touch up my make-up before going back on stage for the next show.”

Christopher, who has a home in East London, was travelling to Oxfordshire tonight for Christmas Day with his godchildren.