‘I was heckled by my four-year-old daughter’ - Chesney Hawkes on his panto debut

Tuesday 21 November at 5:53pm

THE ETERNALLY YOUTHFUL CHESNEY HAWKES JOINED ANDREA, COLEEN, JANET AND NADIA TO TALK ABOUT HIS RETURN TO PANTO AND WHY HE DESCRIBES HIMSELF AS ‘FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS’ WITH HIS INFAMOUS SONG 'THE ONE AND ONLY'.

If past experiences are anything to go by, when Chesney returns to panto-land this year to play Prince Benedict in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at Worthing Theatre, he had better hope his family aren’t in the audience. Recalling his debut panto appearance years ago he told us, ‘The first panto I ever did was with Darren Day and John Bishop. I was Dick Whittington. I was doing this love scene with my leading lady, right at the front of the stage. It was a very quiet moment. My whole gang - they were little then - were in the fourth row. My daughter was probably four. I heard this, “Daddy?”'

Chesney tried to ignore it and continue with the show but then he heard her voice again. 'I turned around and said, “Yes, darling”. She said, “I’ve got an ice cream.”' Needless to say it got the biggest applause of the night.

Chesney talks being heckled by his four-year-old

Speaking of his children, Chesney explained how they are following in his footsteps, particularly his 16-year-old son who joined him on stage during his pantomime last year. ‘I was Prince Charming in Redhill [Surrey] and my son Casey came with me. He ended up in costume on stage.’

Chesney now lives in America with his three children and wife of 20 years Kristina. ‘My 16-year-old is very flamboyant. He’s a theatre kid. He is in one of those fame schools in LA where they’re all doing pirouettes.’ Is he happy for his children to enter showbiz, as he did? ‘I want them to do whatever makes them happy and whatever they’re passionate about.’

Of course, Chesney was just 19 when he released his infamous song 'The One and Only' - a song that, to this day, follows him everywhere. But did you know, at one point, he didn’t sing it for seven years? ‘We fell out. We kind of got divorced. Now we’re like friends... with benefits.’

Watch the video above to see Chesney's full interview.