Doddy audience tickled for hours

Legendary entertainer Ken Dodd kept his audience in stitches until the early hours of today when he took to the stage at the Prince of Wales Centre last night.

His sell-out show finished at 12.50am.

The 82-year-old Liverpudlian had only been stopped from going on beyond midnight by a curfew at the Lichfield Garrick the night before. Speaking before his marathon show in Cannock last night, the funnyman spoke about his long career in show business and his love of performing for audiences in the West Midlands.

He revealed that he still has no plans to finally hang up his tickling stick after 55 years of performing his jokes on stage.

"I will carry on while I can do it. I have been blessed to be given good health and want to go on as long as I possibly can. While there is an audience that wants tickling, I will be there and getting my tickling stick refluffed every year," he added.

Fan Diane Cox, from Gorse Drive, Huntington, who was in the third row for the Prince of Wales show, said: "We try and see him every time he comes here. He is still as good as ever."