A CROSS-DRESSING farmer and former X Factor contestant has made a cameo appearance on Coronation Street.

Ken Prestidge, who calls himself the X-Farmer, played the transvestite friend of Marc Selby, the longtime love interest of Audrey Roberts.

Mr Prestidge, who uses the stage name Justine Watson-Hermes, said: “It was wonderful working on Coro – everybody was marvellous.

“Sue Nicholls, who plays Audrey, said I was just like John Inman, who she used to work with. It was very well paid – a few hundred quid for a day’s filming.”

When not appearing in drag on TV, the 57-year-old, from Redmire, near Leyburn, milks cows on a farm at East Appleton, near Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire.

The role on the nation’s longest running soap comes after a difficult period for the singer and actor, who recently lost his mother and suffered financially from the collapse of the milk processing group Dairy Farmers of Britain.

Mr Prestidge has also successfully undergone chemotherapy after being diagnosed with cancer.

He is keeping his fingers crossed that the appearance will help his showbiz career take off, with more parts on television and a job in panto for the winter his aim.

He said: “I am 57 now and I really want to push my career forward now before it is too late.

“(ITV comedy) Benidorm – that is what I would really like.”

Mr Prestidge has been performing on screen and stage for decades.

His biography includes credits for Emmerdale, This Morning, So Graham Norton and Trisha.

His biggest success before Coronation Street was an appearance on ITV’s The X Factor in 2005.

He initially failed to impress judges Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne when he sang dressed as a man.

But he won through to the next round after performing as his female alter-ego Justine.

To watch the clip of Mr Prestidge on Coronation Street visit justine-xfarmer.co.uk