Wee Jimmy Krankie is talk of the town

What is it about Wee Jimmy Krankie that the coolest of showbiz stars cannot resist? When departing Doctor Who actor David Tennant was asked recently about who he wanted to see take over the role, he suggested his pint-sized fellow Scot.

And Coldplay frontman Chris Martin has revealed he would like to record a Christmas album with the Krankies. "I'd sound great singing with Wee Jimmy, both of us dressed as elves," he told an interviewer.

And now Janette Tough, who plays Jimmy, finds her name cropping up in episodes of Coronation Street. "It's all quite fascinating," she says.

"The Chris Martin-thing actually created a lot of work for us – people kept inviting us on to game shows and quizzes, asking whether it was true. I think he was just frustrated with being asked about who he was going to record with next. The same with the Dr Who job, which would be very nice but, honest, no one has approached me – yet.

"Now it's happening with Corrie. Can you imagine what it's like sitting in your living room and suddenly hearing your name pop out. I was 'Where's this come from?' I'm certainly not offended, in fact I think it's an honour."

The pair are back in panto at The Grand this year for the second season running. The Wolverhampton audiences adore the duo's knockabout humour – and the feeling is mutual.

"We love the audiences here – they've got character," says Janette. She and comic partner Ian, her husband, are 61 and semi-retired now but they still have more get-up-and-go than performers half their age.

In the summer, after returning from their four-month sojourn in Australia, where they have a holiday home, the couple set off on a Best of British Variety tour with Frank Carson, Cannon and Ball, Paul Daniels, Jimmy Cricket and Brotherhood of Man.

"It was great to rekindle old friendships," says Janette. "When we bumped into each other back in the 80s we used to talk about the business, now we discuss what medication we're on.

"We worked out that our combined age was 701. Apart from Nicky from Brotherhood of Man, who's 59, we all have bus passes." She believes the tour was timely and says the popular TV programme Britain's Got Talent has shown that there is more to entertainment than singing.

"It's not a show where there is any bad language. Comics, certainly not comics of our age, don't need to do that. The Press say we're not very politically correct but our audience is our age group and we know what makes them laugh. We leave the swearing to the celebrity chefs.Frank Carson never stopped telling gags. I said to Tommy Cannon: 'It's a good job we haven't got a tour bus, or you and I would need therapy by the end'." She chuckles: "Frank's 82 now, and he's marvellous."

Although they've always been a favourite with the young and the elderly, the Krankies' old-school humour fell out of favour in certain quarters in the early 90s when TV executives failed to renew their contract. It was the only wobble in 40 years of otherwise continuous work.

Nowaday's the veterans' popularity has reached cult status with appearances alongside Peter Kay and on Absolutely Fabulous.

They enjoy an enviable lifestyle with a house in Devon and an apartment on Australia's Gold Coast. They spend February to June swimming, cycling and playing golf in their Down Under retreat.

"We just relax. After all our years in the business, if we don't do it now, we never will," says Jeanette, who met Ian when they were 18 at the Glasgow Pavilion where she was working as a dancer and he a theatre electrician. They formed a song and dance act before creating the character of cheeky schoolboy Wee Jimmy for Janette with Ian playing Jimmy's long-suffering father.

Last year the pair stayed in Theatre House in Springfield Road, the same place they were put up during a panto stint 17 years before. This year they are staying near Bridgnorth. "We're hoping to get out and explore but with matinees every day, we're not sure when that will be."

* Peter Pan runs at The Grand until January 25.