has announced an exciting new gig for later this year, and one that will take her to her hometown of .
The favourite, who rose to fame on the reality TV show 20 years ago, has since thanks to her work on , alongside co-host .
While she’s branched out on other jobs since then, including as the studio host alongside main presenter Richard E Grant at the Bafta film awards, her new role will see her tread the boards with the West Midlands’ finest thespians.
Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, the 48-year-old shared a promotional shot of her being announced as part of the cast for the Birmingham Hippodrome’s production of Jack and the Beanstalk.
‘Now this is exciting!!! @brumhippodrome have asked if I would like to be in their Panto this year in my home town of Brum. Err let me think ….YES PLEASE !!!,’ she wrote in the caption.
‘I’m so excited to be joining the team in “Jack and the Beanstalk” it’s gonna be a Panto extravaganza ??♂️oh yes it is !!!’
She added on Twitter: ‘This is a dream !! Panto in my home down of Birmingham at my favorite theatre Birmingham Hippodrome. My mum would have been thrilled.’
Alison’s part is yet to be announced, but she’s performing alongside local pantomime legend Matt Slack as well as Doreen Tipton as Doreen The Cow and Andrew Ryan as the dame.
The star’s colleagues were delighted by the news, with Ruth Langsford responding: ‘Oh yes it is! And I’ll be BEHIND YOU!!! ? x x
’Fab – sounds like it’s all over to brum for panto this year xx.’
Her fans were also thrilled too, with one stating: ‘Definitely coming over to see this now ?’
‘Oh god we have our tickets I’m so excited to see you,’ chimed in another.
‘You and Matt Slack both have great personalities and will work really well together xx.’
Although she’s dabbled in acting before courtesy of in Doctors and BBC Tracy Beaker spin-off series The Dumping Ground, this is believed to be Alison’s stage debut.
Sher , who also recently announced she’d be joining Sleeping Beauty as evil fairy Carabosse in a Liverpool production.
Alison recently hit headlines after on This Morning, debating whether or not at jukebox musicals while professional actors were performing onstage.
The TV star said she was ‘devastated’ to hear singing was not encouraged in a by theatre professionals.
The production of The Bodyguard they mentioned was then interrupted by a ‘mini riot’, resulting in its final 10 minutes being cancelled following and being dragged out of the audience.
Alison apologised via social media ‘to anyone who I offended especially the incredibly talented theatre performers, who I have the utmost respect for’.
‘I had no idea the level of disruption audiences were causing and tried to make light of the topic on Wednesday’s show, and for that I’m truly sorry.’
She added: ‘I am a great supporter of theatre and the arts and would never sing at the top of my lungs at any performance, I was wrong in what I said and I’ve given this a lot of thought over the past few days and believe I was wrong.
‘On Thursday evening I attended a performance of the GBBO the musical which I absolutely loved and gave a standing ovation, theatre is a magical experience for me and my family.’
She also said she was made ‘sick to her stomach’ by the news from Manchester’s Palace Theatre, and added that she would ‘do better in the future’ as she signed off with another apology for her initial comments.
