NINE TO FIVE

Name

Christie Goddard, 20

Occupation

Actress and dancer

Salary

pounds 500 per week

Address

Redhill, Surrey

I suppose you were one of those little brats that always wanted to be on a stage?

Actually I started late, when I was nine. Some children start when they are two or three. I'm very career minded and always knew what I wanted to do. When I was 12 I went to the Italia Conti School and stayed there for four years. There's never been anything else I've wanted to do. I've always wanted to be a star.

What was your big break then?

Fate. When I was 18 I had a knee injury so couldn't dance. I took a job as a waitress at Gatwick Airport. A BBC researcher came in and we had a chat. He said he would give me a ring and I thought, yeah OK, but he did and I found myself auditioning for Noel's House Party. I didn't get in but I was put on a list and got used as a dancer in The Generation Game the following week. I became one of Jim Davidson's models and have since appeared in sketches with Julian Clary and Lily Savage. I'm one of six dancers who appear on TFI Friday with Chris Evans.

What's he like - a bit of a tyrant?

I haven't found him to be so. He's as committed and professional as you'd imagine. The other dancers and I get to see quite a lot of him. We're like sisters, always hanging around make-up when he's there. He appreciates seeing us in our PVC outfits.

So how have you gone from Chris Evans to panto?

I did a panto for Jim Davidson last year. It was Babes in the Wood and I was the fairy. This year I'm playing Cinderella at the Orchard in Dartford. We're trying to do it differently. There will be more depth and characters the audience actually feel for. There are some wonderful moments with Baron Hardup and also with Buttons when she realises that her best friend is in love with her.

Everybody say, ah!

Well, panto is heartwarming stuff.

So will Cinders be having a merry Christmas?

Yeah, I still live at home with my parents so it'll be really cosy. I've got the best parents you could wish for. So supportive. We're a close family. My dad is my worst critic and spots faults and knows when I'm not at my best. They have arguments as to where I get my talent and my looks from. My youngest sister, Ashley, who's 12, is following in my footsteps and was in a West End production of Scrooge. I've got four sisters.

Blimey, your poor dad...

Yeah! I love being with my family. God help the man that comes between me and them.

Are you nervous about the panto?

A little bit. Boxing Day is the traditional day to see a panto so we are putting on three shows and I like to get to the theatre 30 minutes before the half-hour call to give myself a bit of time to focus. Every performance is a one-off, you don't know what to expect. The audiences are always different, that's what gives you the buzz. I've no idea how much time we'll have, as I've never done three shows in a day before. I know all the dancers and two of my best friends - Natalie and Rachel - are in this production so I expect that every night we'll be going out for dinner. You are on such a high after a show you can not contemplate going to sleep.

Is food a problem for you?

I have to watch my weight. I need high-energy food and fruit and veg. Having said that there isn't usually time so I expect I'll be eating fast food as usual. I'm sure someone will be going out to Burger King or KFC.