BOY band Blue's Lee Ryan is to front a thigh-slapping performance at this year’s pantomime at The Beck Theatre in Hayes.

Lee, 32, will be playing mischievous hero Jack Trot in the production, alongside co-stars Neil Bromley and Daisy the Cow, who he sells at an auction for magic beans.

Last month he underwent major surgery to remove a cyst on his throat, which threatened to take away his voice.

While still feeling the effects of the op, Lee and the panto team are feeling positive about his voice pulling through before opening night on December 11.

“Its getting better,” Lee said. “It’s definitely healing. It just takes time.”

He added: “If not, I’ll just get the audience to sing for me!”

This will be Lee’s first panto both on and off the boards. “I’ve never actually even seen a panto before,” he admitted. “So I’m going in completely green.”

As part of the show, Lee will be performing Blue classics One Love and Signed, Sealed, Delivered, the musical classic Defying Gravity from Wicked and Olly Murs’ Wrapped Up.

“I love that song, and it gets people going. I really love Olly Murs, I think he’s great,” he said.

His fellow bandmates will be unlikely to attend the shows, since Simon, Duncan and Antony are also performing in pantos - in Nottingham, Southampton and Dunstable respectively.

Simon and Duncan will both be playing Aladdin, while Antony will be taking on the role of Prince Charming.

But it promises to still be a family affair, with Lee’s six and seven-year-old children both due to come along and support their dad.

The foursome will then reconvene and start working on new material for Blue in the new year.

Jack and the Beanstalk runs from December 11. Tickets, priced £20.50-£24, are available from https://becktheatre.org.uk/Online/panto-hayes-uxbridge-pantomime