As an interviewer, you never know what the famous voice on the other end of the line will be like. Sometimes those with the most pleasant public persona can be a total misery, while those with quite a scary reputation are surprisingly obliging. But then there are a few who are simply a delight. And I am happy to tell you that John Partridge, actor, singer, dancer and now Celebrity Masterchef champion very much falls into the latter category.
John is heading to Richmond Theatre to star in Edgar Wallace’s thriller The Case of the Frightened Lady, an old-school, gripping whodunit that is sure to keep audiences enthralled from beginning to end.
“Oh it’s got everything,” the 47-year-old enthuses. “A stoic mistress of the house; a young ingenue; a butler and of course a dashingly handsome detective. Can you guess who that is? It’s also got a climactic ending and who doesn’t want a climax after two hours,” he teases.
Joking aside, the past few months have seen John hits the heights: being crowned Celebrity Masterchef champion, taking part in ITV male cancer awareness show The Full Monty which enabled him to open up about this own battle with testicular cancer - a secret he had hidden for 14 years, and getting sober. But all these positives came as he struggled to come to terms with his mother's death
"Winning that [Masterchef] trophy took place exactly a year to the day after my mum died," he reveals. "She had been battling Alzheimer's for years, we sort of knew it was coming but I miss her desperately. Masterchef took me back to my childhood and to our family meals. I found myself cook
ing cheese and onion pie and custard tarts. Both Masterchef and Monty helped me re-connect with myself and helped me find out who I really am."
Born in the northern mill town of Radcliffe just outside Manchester, John's story is, as he says, "pure Billy Elliot". A tap dancer from a young age, he won a place at the prestigious Royal Ballet School aged 10 and moved to Richmond to board at White Lodge.
"My dad worked every hour God sent to get me through ballet school," he says with pride. "He knew dancing was my ticket out and he did all he could to make sure I had a chance."
After ballet school, and aged just 16, John landed a role in Cats and his career has gone from strength to strength as he has moved effortlessly from dance to serious actor. A five-year stint as Christian Clarke in BBC soap EastEnders helped propel John into the spotlight, and fans were shocked and disappointed when he decided to leave.
"I wanted to look after my mum,” he explains. “I made a choice. A lot of people would wonder why you would give up a job on such a big show. Well, I just wanted to be there with her. And part of the thrill of being an actor is wondering what comes next. If you want job security, don't become an actor."
But for now, John is very happy to be employed in the cast of The Case of the Frightened Lady. "It's a great play - wonderful for a winter's night and it's giving me a chance to head back to Richmond where I started out all those years ago." Welcome home.
The Case of the Frightened Lady is at Richmond Theatre from Nov 12-17. For tickets, visit: atgticket.com
