BILLY Pearce first took to the Alhambra stage in 1993, playing Simple Simon in Cinderella.

“I got all the clowning around jobs, it did me a favour because people liked me - and I’ve been coming back ever since,” said the comic, who this year celebrates his 20th Alhambra panto, playing Wishee Washee alongside Christopher Biggins as Widow Twankey and Simon Webbe as Aladdin.

The three stars gathered at the Alhambra for today’s launch of Aladdin, and revealed that special effects will include a spectacular flying carpet journey to Old Peking. “Audiences won’t believe what they see,” teased director Ed Curtis.

This year Billy received the Pride of Yorkshire award from Welcome to Yorkshire for services to Bradford pantomime. He has entertained twice the population of Bradford over his years at the Alhambra. “It’s my favourite place in the world,” said Billy. “I have speakers in my dressing-room so I can hear the audience filling up the seats. That’s what panto means to me. People work hard and buy panto tickets as a treat. It’s our job to make it special.”

Billy has worked with an array of stars in panto over the years, and has done everything from soaring over the audience to sword-fighting. He's suffered several injuries in panto stunts, not least cracking a rib while attached to a flying harness - "I spent the rest of the show in agony," he recalled - and breaking a collar bone, finger, toe and spraining an ankle falling into the orchestra pit. "I once slipped and headbutted the ground," he said. "The nurse doing the stitches said: 'You'll need a week off'. I said: 'I'm back on stage tomorrow'. 'Oh no you're not', she said," Next day Billy was back at the Alhambra, with a black eye.

Biggins, in an elaborate washing-machine and bath tub costume, was last in an Alhambra panto 30 years ago. “It’s one of the top three theatres, especially for panto. Bradford is very lucky to have it,” he said. “I love northern audiences, they really go for it."

Blue star Simon Webbe said: "This is my first time at the Alhambra, it's beautiful. I'm a 'panto baby' compared to Billy and Biggins. I can't wait to get started - I just know they're going to have me cracking up on stage."

* Aladdin runs from December 8 to January 20, 2019. Tickets are on (01274) 432000.