AT 71-years-old Middlesbrough-born funnyman Royston Vasey is still touring the country.

these days his stand-up shows as Chubby are interspersed with evenings with Royston Vasey.

Fans who love to belly-laugh at Chubby’s crude jokes and outlandish stories also like to hear about his life - everything from his throat cancer survival to insider stories from the entertainment business.

This summer he will bring Chubby to Spennymoor Leisure Centre, in County Durham, where a second date on Sunday, July 3, was added after the show the night before sold out.

And the audience can expect full-on unadulterated Chubby.

He said: “People can expect laughs I hope, a good time, I want them to go home talking about ‘that story he told’.

“I figured out a long time ago I’m never going to be a star, I would have to be another Bernard Manning type and became Chubby.

“If you have a naughty little boy who is mischievous he can say what he likes.

“I kept that silly character, he’ll talk about his sexual exploits and punching a cop, people watching feel they know him, they laugh at him because he’s all talk.

“I’m always working on new material, I see what is on the news, I cannot afford to be silly I have to be clever, you cannot use a show from early December when you’ve written about Christmas at Easter.

“Nothing is really off-limits but I’ve never joked about children.”

Mr Vasey is proud of Chubby’s achievements, including sell out shows at the London Palladium and an award from Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Despite very few mainstream television appearances, because of his blue material, he can also count some well known names among his army of loyal fans.

“David Beckham asked for my autograph in the 1990s,” he said.

Asked what makes him laugh, Mr Vasey thinks Peter Kay and Milton Jones are natural comedians with ‘funny bones’ and his biggest hero is Billy Connolly.

He said: “I met Billy Connolly in Scarborough 25 years ago, I was shaking and he said he’d been watching me for a while.

“When I went out to Australia this limo picked me up and the driver said ‘I had your friend in here the other week, Billy Connolly’.

“Well, to me he is the 20th century Jesus of Nazareth, no matter what he says you laugh.”

Tickets for Roy ‘Chubby’Brown at Spennymoor Leisure on Sunday, July 3 are £20 on 03000-261161, over 18s only.