BRITAIN’S Got Talent winner, Ashleigh Butler, talked about her excitement as the Guardian caught up with her ahead of the double act’s next pantomime performance in Northwich.

“I really enjoy the feeling of performing into a traditional British pantomime, it’s going to be great fun bringing Alice to life on stage. It’s a role that I have never played before and always wanted to.”

“Rehearsals start on Thursday (15th March) so, with just over a week until the curtains go up, there is going to be a lot of hard work coming our way to be ready in time.”

This year’s delightful Easter panto kicks off a touring pantomime of Alice in Wonderland.

Set in Lewis Carrol's whimsically imaginative world of Wonderland, it features an array of weird and wonderful characters, such as the bonkers Mad Hatter (played by Dave Benson-Phillips) and the wicked Queen of Hearts (played by Leslie Ash).

A frequent panto performer, the 23-year-old will star in the production as title character Alice, as she and her canine sidekick Sully take a trip down a rabbit hole in this year’s Easter panto of Alice in Wonderland at the Northwich Memorial Court next week.

Fresh from their recent Crufts success, claiming the top title in the Small Agility Championship category, her four-legged sidekick is also hard at work preparing for the upcoming performances.

The pair were nominated by The Great British Pantomime Awards as Best Specialty Act for their performance in Jack and the Beanstalk at Wycombe Swan, where Ashleigh played Princess Apricot accompanied on stage by Sully in his debut performance.

Since his passing in 2017, Sully has taken on the performing responsibilities of Pudsey in various pantomimes, like Jack and the Beanstalk at Wycombe Swan Theatre last Christmas, and the Border Collie and Bichon Frise crossbreed will star alongside Ashleigh as himself in the upcoming production.

With various TV and stage appearances under their belts, Ashleigh has complete confidence in her companion that they will put on a show to remember.

“Sully has such a great temperament when it comes to performing up on the stage. He loves to be the centre of attention and have the spotlight on him. He can be a bit hyperactive sometimes so controlling that can be a challenge.

“But, at the end of the day, Sully puts his all into each and every performance he gives. You can see that he enjoys it and I couldn’t ask for anything more from him.”

With learning lines, dance routines and everything else that goes into the production of a pantomime, it can be a difficult task managing to get everything organised in time for the big days for yourself. This pressure can be ramped up further when you’re also in charge of getting another performer ready, but Ashleigh has had plenty of experience, and has complete confidence in Sully’s talent and abilities.

Ashleigh Butler rose to fame in 2012 when she, and her dog Pudsey, became the first dog trick act to win the sixth series of the ITV talent show.

At the age of 17, Butler trained her best friend Pudsey to jump, dance and perform on hind legs in a series of elaborate routines that won the hearts of the British public and defied the bookmaker’s odds to beat teenage opera duo ‘Jonathan and Charlotte’ from Ilford, Essex.

The duo recently took part a reunion show at Liverpool’s Empire Theatre in aid of Alder Hey Children's Hospital in February with other Britain’s Got Talent legends, such as Susan Boyle, Paul Potts and Collabro, where the pair performed a mystical Game of Thrones-inspired routine.

“It can be such a whirlwind experience going from one job to the next, but Sully has been practising some of the routine for a few weeks now in preparation. We often get the routines confirmed as soon as possible so we can begin his training pretty quickly, and it won’t be too much to handle for him at once.”

Alice in Wonderland will run at Northwich’s Memorial Court, with four shows, on March 23 & 24. Tickets can be purchased from £13.50 by visiting ticketsource.co.uk/brioleisure or by calling the box office directly on 01606 261 100