Former Nickelodeon UK Presenter Ed Petrie To Star In The Lighthouse Centre For The Arts' 2011 Pantomime "Cinderella"

According to this Nickelodeon news article featuring an interview with the former Nickelodeon UK and Ireland presenter Ed Petrie on BHbeat.com, Ed Petrie will be starring as the "Cinderella" character 'Buttons' in the pantomime production of "Cinderella" at Poole, UK's Lighthouse Centre for the Arts, which opens on Friday 9th December 2011. Ed Petrie also discusses how starting off in stand-up comedy lead him into a successful career of presenting, and his ambitions of being the next Doctor Who:

INTERVIEW: CBBC presenter Ed Petrie on dreams of being Dr Who

By Emma Bottamley.

Actor, comedian and CBBC presenter Ed Petrie, renowned by children across the country, is to take the role of Buttons in Cinderella at Poole’s Lighthouse Centre for the Arts, which opens on Friday 9th December. Ed discusses how starting off in stand-up comedy lead him into a successful career of presenting, and his dreams of being the next Doctor Who.

BHbeat: Why did you decide to do Panto?

Doing children's TV I always assumed that I would end up doing panto. I'm looking forward to the challenge and I just hope I get a lot of cheers! I've never done it before – it takes a lot of stamina and hard work. I'm really looking forward to performing with Guy Siner [Allo Allo] and Sarah Thomas [Last of the Summer Wine]. I used to watch both of their shows, and Guy has been in panto before so I’m hoping he’ll show me the ropes.

You went to Goldsmiths University to study Drama, are you looking forward to being on stage again?

It will be a new challenge for me and one that I'm really looking forward to. Acting is what I started out doing so it will be going back to my roots, but I haven’t been in a proper theatre since I was about 20 years old.

You've worked as a presenter for the BBC, Nickelodeon and CBBC. How did you get into presenting?

Presenting was something I always dreamed of but I never thought it would happen to me. Originally I started off as a stand-up comedian and then I got an agent and went along to a casting audition for Nickelodeon. I never thought I would get the job! When I was a kid I used to pretend that I had my own TV show. I used to interview my mum and dad and pretend they were on my show. It’s quite weird now that I actually ending up doing it as a job!

What was it like being a stand-up comedian? Have you ever had any embarrassing moments?

My worst ever stand-up gig was when I did a show for a load of Royal Marines that had just got back from Iraq. It was the most terrifying thing I have ever done. I was supposed to do 20 minutes but I only lasted ten minutes. It was terrible, I had to get off the stage because they were shouting “taxi” at me. I just hope they don’t do that to me in panto this year.

What is the highlight moment of your career?

Getting my own Saturday morning TV show was really exciting and I did that for a couple of years. But I suppose the highlight moment was the very first time I presented for CBBC in the afternoon. Phillip Schofield used to do the job. I was so nervous before I went on air – it has to be the most exciting but nerve-racking moment of my life.

What are your plans after Panto?

I’m going to America to film a brand new series of a show I've been doing for CBBC called – ‘All Over The Place’. It’s basically about us travelling ‘all over the place’ trying to find weird and wonderful things. I've got three months to travel all around America, going to as many weird places as I can, for instance I’m going to see a man who has built a rollercoaster in his back garden! I’m also trying to write a children’s book, I can’t say too much about it yet but I’m half way through and I’m finding it quite difficult. I've never written a book before – it's probably going to be rubbish! I’m still doing stand-up comedy occasionally too. I think it's something that I will constantly enjoy doing. I always like showing off in some way.

Is there anything in your career that you would still like to do?

I have always wanted to be in ‘Doctor Who’, I know quite a few CBBC presenters who have appeared on the programme and I’m hoping that one day my chance might come. I’m such a fan – I've seen every single episode. If anyone should be on it, it should be me. I would make a brilliant Doctor Who.

Cinderella will run at Lighthouse, Poole’s Centre for the Arts, from 9th December until 8th January 2012. For more information and tickets please see www.lighthousepoole.co.uk.

Guy Siner, Ed Petrie, Sarah Thomas photo by: Esther Yarnold