King of the jungle Joe Swash has been a big hit with audiences in Chatham.

The ex-EastEnders actor is starring as Buttons in Cinderella at The Central Theatre.

Despite only having a few days to learn his lines following his triumphant return from Australia, Joe is proving to be the perfect Buttons, not least because he is basically being himself on stage.

Joe Swash as Buttons is just like Joe Swash on I’m a Celebrity - he is a really funny, loveable character who the audience immediately warm to.

Buttons is secretly in love with Cinderella and the whole audience would rather see him marry Cinders than the Prince.

Swash fluffed a few of his lines in the first half of the show but in his cheeky, cockney style he managed to quickly get things back on track, resulting in even louder cheers and applause from the audience.

Swash may have stole the show, but the rest of the cast were outstanding.

Local girl Tara Verloop, who plays Cinders, had a beautiful singing voice and performed several strong duets with co-star Tom Yeates, who played her Prince Charming.

The ugly sisters, Chavina (Antony Stuart-Hicks) and Chavianna (David Phipps-Davis) in their weird and wonderful outfits, provided lots of laughs, as did Dandini, played by Max Martin.

The show followed the traditional fairy tale, with a few added twists; the fairy godmother had to win her fairy wings in the style of the Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life, and there were ghosts, Brownies and Scouts thrown in a few scenes for good measure.

There was lots of audience interaction, even more so than pantos I’ve seen in the past, largely due to Joe’s popularity. When Cinders turns down Buttons’ marriage proposal, he had plenty of offers from female members of the audience.

There were lots of jokes for the mums and dads and plenty of references to Joe’s time in the Jungle, all topped off by magical costumes, set and music.

• The Central Theatre box office has been inundated since the start of I’m a Celebrity, so don’t delay in booking your tickets to see Swash star in Cinderella. Call 01634 338338 or visit www.medway.gov.uk/cinderella.