The former Blue Peter presenter is half way through the run of musical classic Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and is relishing his role as Caractacus Potts.

Matt said:" It's good to get to this stage and, thankfully, my voice is holding up. The show has settled in beautifully and I'm starting to really relish the experience."

Ainsley Fannen, 10, is playing the part of Jeremy alongside Matt.
The young thespian, from Castletown, said: "He's a really nice person and it's great flying in the car."

Grace Proctor, eight, from Cleadon Village, is playing the part of Freya.

She said: "Matt is really nice and he says 'well done' when we finish the performance."

Matt has enjoyed working with the youngsters so much that he's hoping to do another musical in the future.

He said: "We're getting great feedback and the children are great to work with – very enthusiastic, and you can't beat that!

"I'd love to do Mary Poppins. Following in Dick Van Dyke's footsteps would be excellent."

To buy Chitty tickets, call the Empire hotline, tel: 0844 847 2499 or go online at: SunderlandEmpire.org.uk