Linda Lusardi set for Wolverhampton Grand panto

She's been looking forward to it for months. Linda Lusardi will top the bill when the curtain goes up at the Grand Theatre, in Wolverhampton, on Saturday night on this season's panto.

The former Page Three beauty starred on BBC's MasterChef earlier this year, making it to the semi-finals.

She said: "I cannot believe I got through to the semi finals of MasterChef. It was one of the most stressful programmes I have ever been involved with.

"I didn't ever think I would cry over cooking but I did. My cooking skills have improved immensely and I wouldn't have missed the experience."

Lusardi said filming was a pressure-cooker situation. "John and Gregg are so serious it makes you very nervous although Gregg did crack a funny line when Darren and I were cooking the 10 breakfasts. He walked past and said to me, 'No-one could ever accuse you of having two fried eggs' – naughty boy!

"I am looking forward to Snow White, at The Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton, this year. We have a great cast with my hubby Sam Kane as the Prince, Niki Evans from X Factor as the Fairy and the fantastically funny Grumblweeds providing the comedy."

Grand spokeswoman Vicky Price said the team behind this year's spectacular production of Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs would be making sure it contained everything fans could want for the festive season, with hilarious comedy, amazing special effects and a dazzling cast of panto favourites.

She said: "Book early or you won't be able to look yourself in the mirror."

Lusardi, who plays the Wicked Queen in the panto, was best known for a modelling career in the eighties and nineties. Now her career spans the world of stage, film and television.

In recent times, she spent time with the notorious King family in ITV's Emmerdale. She was brought in for 10 episodes of The Bill to play detective Don Beache's estranged girlfriend Maggie Lyons in one of the drama's biggest storylines. Her lead stage roles include Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion, Shirley in Funny Peculiar, Not Now Darling and the musical Happy as a Sandbag.

Meanwhile, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre launched its rock 'n' roll version of Dick Whittington this week. The panto, which runs until January 7, features hits including Hippy Hippy Shake, Uptown Girl, Tainted Love, Single Ladies, Walking On Sunshine, Gimme Some Lovin' and many more.

Tickets for the Grand are available at www.grandtheatre.info while tickets for the Gatehouse are available at www.staffordgatehousetheatre.co.uk

More panto fun:

• Cinderella at the Birmingham Hippodrome, December 17-January 29, call 0844 338 5000 for tickets

• Dick Whittington, Barlow Theatre, Langley, January 13-21, call 0121 5522761

• Snow White, Black Country Living Museum, December 27-30

• Robinson Crusoe, Stourbridge Town Hall, January 21-28, call Peter Mills on 01384 836963

• Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood, Edgecliff High School, Kinver, tonight and tomorrow