Duff TV helping Stan to sell out

"Things have changed in the world of TV," he says. "Instead of big variety shows there are now a lot of cheap reality programmes, and they all copy each other.

"Producers don't want to have us telling jokes on TV any more - it is easier just to film a group of people walking around a house and making a cup of tea.

"I have put ideas forward for shows, but they just want Come Dancing or Come Skating.

"These shows don't make me laugh and you find people glued to the extra TV channels where they can find repeats of Only Fools and Horses."

Comic Stan Boardman tops the bill for the comedy night out at Walsall Town Hall on May 9 when he will be backed by Duncan Norvelle and the Opportunity Knocks favourite Berni Flint.

"Black Country folk have a fantastic sense of humour," says Stan Boardman.

"I always have a good time and people seem to like me because they are always bringing me back for more shows.

"I have been a speaker at Walsall Football Club a few times, but I'm a Liverpool fan and I'm very excited about how well they are doing at the moment.

"There used to be a fantastic club scene in the West Midlands, but that is disappearing. We went to The Bar in Birmingham recently and it sold out. That is what we can expect at Walsall as well."

It was a talent competition at a Butlin's holiday camp 31 years ago which changed Stan Boardman's life.

Born on Merseyside his great schoolboy ambition was to play professional football for Liverpool.

After failing to make the grade in big time soccer he eventually started his own haulage business which earned him a steady living.

Then in the summer of 1976 Stan and his family were on holiday at a Butlin's holiday camp, when his twin children persuaded him to enter the talent competition; just for fun.

Stan says: "I reluctantly agreed and for the first time in my life stood up on stage in front of a packed audience and entertained them with a hastily memorised list of jokes.

"Surprisingly I won first prize. That talent contest was just one of the many heats in a much larger national competition. I progressed through each stage to a place in the grand final at the London Palladium."

He walked off with the £1,000 first prize, a summer season engagement and the title Star Act Of The Year.

He went on to star on television's Opportunity Knocks, the popular children's series Runaround, the Comedians and headlined his own television special Success With Stan.

He also appeared in Live At Her Majesty's, Knees Up, Entertainment Express, Russell Harty, The Grumbleweeds Radio Show, Mike Reid's Mates and Music, A Question of Sport and Give Us A Clue.

There was also that infamous - but hilarious - appearance on Des O'Connor Tonight.

Stan says: "I love going out on stage and making people laugh. Anyone who comes to see the show on Wednesday will be laughing and rolling in the aisles.

"If anyone is depressed or fed-up, they won't be by the end of the show.

"I'm touring at the moment and have just done 15 shows in the Midlands in the last few weeks.

"I'm on stage just as much as I was 25 years ago but because I'm not on TV people think I'm not around anymore, but I'm working every day.

"I make sure my material is up-to-date but if I ask the audience what they want to hear they always say the same thing - jokes about the Germans."

* Stan will be appearing at Walsall Town Hall on May 9 from 7.30pm. Tickets priced £11 and £9 are available by calling 0845 111 2900.