Fresh from risking injury on TV’s Totel Wipeout, Joe Pasquale talks to Viv Hardwick about his busy life of touring, panto, TV and radio projects.

THE man you can rely on for a narrow squeak is the busy man of comedy, Joe Pasquale, who is roaring into another tour to York and Newcastle before heading for pantomime in Birmingham.

But earlier this year the high-pitched 48-year-old father-of-four and grandfather-of-four threw himself into a celebrity version of BBC1’s Total Wipeout, which is one of two shows going to be screened during the festive season.

“I wouldn’t have done it if I hadn’t got myself fitter these days and I had a go because I’m saying ‘yes’ to things that scare me before I get to 50 and then feel too old,” explains Pasquale, who shot back to stardom after winning ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2004.

To become King of the Jungle Pasquale had to face his fear of heights by jumping out of a plane and since then he’s learned to fly despite being terrified of flying. During the TV series The Prisoner: X he ended up in San Rafael prison, Costa Rica, and challenged the prison’s 44-match undefeated boxing champion to a fight.

“So there I was, speaking not a word of Spanish and surrounded by around 900 of the toughest criminals, 800 of them armed. They nicknamed me ‘Gringo Loco’. I went through with it and he very kindly decided not to kill me,”

jokes Pasquale.

After that, throwing yourself onto the daunting big red balls of Total Wipeout were no problem he says.

“I managed the first two but I crashed into the third. The trouble is it was winter out there and the water was freezing when you fell in and took your breath away,” says the comic who described the impact of the event on other celebrities as like a visit to a war zone.

“We were all trying to win £10,000 for a chosen charity and it all got a bit too competitive.

Nearly all of the others got injured. To be honest, I knew I didn’t stand a chance of winning so I just made sure I got round the course in one piece,” says Pasquale.

The injury list included TV presenter Kirsten O’Brien, ex- Olympic hurdler Sally Gunnell , former Kenny Everett sidekick Cleo Rocos, I’m A Celebrity winner and former EastEnders star Joe Swash and TV presenter Dominic Littlewood.

“I got as far as the sweeper and I think I did well to clear it four times before it wiped me out. What you don’t see on TV is that it takes over 30 minutes to get everyone on the stands.

They use a cherry-picker thing to lift you up one by one… so by the time the sweeper starts all the blood has sunk down into your feet and the last thing you want to do is to start leaping about,” he adds.

Pasquale was surprised to learn that Swash had threatened to sue the BBC over an arm injury and says: “I’ve been throwing myself about for 25 years so I used to the odd knock.”

Asked about his appearances in the North-East for the current tour, Pasquale says: “I keep changing everything because I can’t do the same act for 20 years, that would be like doing a proper job for me.

That’s why I’ve got a double garage at home that is almost completely full of total crap because I keep using so many different props.

“This time I’m doing a mindreading act and a sort of tribute to Nostradamus where I foretell the future. I was taught how to do the mind-reading by Wayne Dobson (the magician). Luckily it didn’t take too long because I’ve got the attention span of a ten-year-old.

“A lot depends on the subject you pick but the audience will be amazed how well it works.”

When the tour ends in November, Pasquale moves straight into pantomime, Sleeping Beauty, directed by Newcastle’s Michael Harrison at Birmingham Hippodrome.

“I’m starring with Ray Quinn (the ITV Dancing On Ice winner) and looking forward to another year at Birmingham, but I’d love the chance to come back to Newcastle Theatre Royal in the future because Michael Harrison (who runs the North Yorkshire-based panto company Qdos) puts so much into the shows there,” he says.

Straight after panto he’s negotiating to create a radio comedy, looking at another TV gameshow and is likely to stage another comedy tour.

“I’d like to tell you more… but I think I’d better get through this year first,” Pasquale adds.

■ Joe Pasquale, York Opera House, Monday, tickets £17.

Box Office: 0844-847-2322.

Journal Tyne Theatre, £17.

November 7, Box Office: 0844- 493-9999