Cricket star bowls over lights crowd : Shropshire Star:

Hundreds of people turned out at Telford Shopping Centre as stars of panto and sport helped to switch on its Christmas lights.

See our picture gallery below.

Cricketing and Strictly Come Dancing star Darren Gough got the crowds cheering when he pushed the “plunger” to turn the lighting display on last night.

He was joined on the stage by the cast and crew from this year’s Oakengates Theatre pantomime, Beauty and the Beast, including the former ‘Allo Allo star Sue Hodge.

Comperes were Ryan Kennedy and Vicky Sherwin of Beacon FM, while the boys and girls of Telford Stage School, award-winning Telford hip-hop dance troupe DNA, and the Telford Tigers Ice Hockey Team also made appearances.

And it seems the twinkle-toed sportsman is no stranger to Telford. Gough said: “I’ve actually been here a few times before.

“I used to come here to do training and for sports injury treatment in Lilleshall.

“I remember coming to this shopping centre and I’ve definitely been to the cinema and a few nightclubs here before.”

Before heading to the stage, he said: “I do not know what to expect, but I am really looking forward to doing it.”

Masses of fans of the star queued to get autographs and photos and for a lot of them it was definitely worth the wait.

Anita Gough brought her three boys Thomas, nine, Harry, six, and William, three, to come to see Darren. Mrs Gough said: “The boys love him, we got his autograph and he signed our cricket bats. He was lovely, I’m so glad we came.”

And one lucky lady even got chance to dance with the cricketer.

Clare McPherson, from Dawley, Telford, said: “I put my hand straight up to get a dance with him.

“I watch the show all the time and I thought he was wonderful on it, but the dancing is a lot harder than I thought,” she said.

Michelle Jones, from The Rock, Telford, came with her mother, Christine, to see her daughter Eloise sing and dance with the Telford Stage School.

She said: “Seeing the children is what it is all about because it is them who really get us in the Christmas spirit - it has been a wonderful night.”

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