One of Britain’s best-loved entertainers is to appear on stage at the Bacon Theatre this Thursday evening.

Anita Harris will share anecdotes from her life in showbusiness, the people she has met and the places she has been when she takes to the stage at 7:30pm. She will also be performing songs that have made her into one of the country's best loved stars. “I can’t wait to come down to Cheltenham and perform at the Bacon Theatre on Thursday,” Anita told The Local Answer.

“I’ll be telling the story of my life through music, songs and photographs. There’s some lovely photographs from many years ago of me with legendary entertainers such as Tommy Cooper and Harry Secombe. I’ll be singing a few of my favourite jazz songs and a selection of my favourite ballads. I’m really looking forward to meeting the people of Gloucestershire on what will be a lovely evening,” she added.

Anita has appeared in several films as well as enjoying various stints on television. Equally at home on stage she has performed at some of the biggest venues in the world for over six decades and shows no sign of stopping any time soon. Her love of performing started at a young age. She continued: “I’ve always loved to sing although I didn’t ever imagine I’d make a career out of performing.

“I remember when I was 12 or 13 and coming out of the cinema after seeing ‘Calamity Jane’ starring Doris Day and I danced through the streets on my way home. It was at that moment I first thought that maybe this career might be for me.

“I still get nerves, there’s not a performance that goes by that the adrenaline doesn’t start pumping before I get on stage. I don’t think my love for performing will ever stop. People often ask me if I’ll wind down, but I’d miss it too much.”

Anita, who performed three times an evening in Las Vegas when she was 16, says the venues on these shores will always hold a special place in her heart. She continued: “The London Palladium is such a magical venue, I’ve performed there countless times and even now I still get excited thinking about the great times I’ve enjoyed there.

“Every single artist who has played at the Palladium has always told me it’s one of their favourite venues as well, it’s a gorgeous building and the atmosphere is always so perfect. A long time ago I was performing at the Palladium with Harry Secombe and he took me to Borneo where we performed for our armed services. That was certainly one of my most memorable performance venues! Harry was a marvellous friend and a performer out of the very top drawer. His performances were fantastic but off stage he was a real gentleman, we shared many laughs together.”

It’s been a busy summer for Anita, who has been taking part in Celebrity Masterchef 2018. She added: “It was a wonderfully enjoyable experience. I learned a lot of new skills and it was a good laugh. Working with John Torode and Greg Wallace was quite an experience. I’m looking forward to watching the series when it starts later this month. I can’t say too much on what went on, you’ll have to tune in and find out!”

Anita’s love of acting is still as strong as ever, her fondness for pantomime remains as evident now as it was 50 years ago. She continued: “Some of my favourite moments on stage have been while performing in a pantomime. It’s a wonderful time of the year and audiences are always in good spirits. Pantomimes are enjoyed by the whole family, from grandparents to grandchildren and I adore every opportunity I get perform. If you walk through the front entrance of the stage during a pantomime you’ll often see young children sat with their heads cupped in their hands who are completely transfixed with what they’re seeing, that’s what I perform for, to see the delight on their faces.

“Performing is part of who and what I am. I love the fact that I can mix every day life with getting on stage and singing and performing. I don’t see it as a job, any person that is lucky enough to be in a job they love will tell you the same thing."