Parenthood and starring in a UK theatre tour are not the most compatible activities but Les Dennis wouldn’t have it any other way. As he comes to the county in Legally Blonde, Chris Price squeezed in a chat

Starring in Legally Blonde has not been kind to Les Dennis’ carbon footprint. The former Family Fortunes host is clocking up some serious mileage as he juggles life on the road with being the father of two small children.

Les is speaking from his north London home, from where he has been commuting to and from Woking every day to play the scheming Professor Callaghan in the tour of Legally Blonde, the hit Broadway and West End musical.

He wants to spend as much time as he can with Thomas, aged one, and be able to drop off and pick up his four-year-old daughter Eleanor from nursery.

“It is difficult,” said Les, 58. “It has been even harder since Eleanor started school, so now she cannot tour with me. It just means I commute as much as possible.

“I drop her off home at 1pm, then I go straight to Woking. It is tiring but worth it. It will be difficult when I go to Aberdeen. That is two weeks away and I cannot come back at weekends. My aim is to not always tour and as I get older I will be based more at home.”

Of course, Les has been there and done it before. He juggled showbiz with bringing up his 32-year-old son Phil by his first wife Lynne Webster. The comedian insists having a family with his third wife Claire Nicholson is no different – even better in some ways. I was a bit younger and had more energy with Phil but kids keep you young,” said Les. “It is just as hard as it ever was. It is still as tiring when my boy is running into everything. I spend most of my time stooped but it’s great. I have more time now and more patience. Before I was chasing a career but now I know what I am about.”

These are clearly much happier days than those after he broke down on Celebrity Big Brother in 2002, as his second marriage to Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden was collapsing. The breakthrough for him was his appearance on Ricky Gervais’s comedy Extras. Playing himself, Les finds out his younger girlfriend is having an affair and breaks down with huge comic effect, naked in his dressing room and then on stage.

“Extras was great fun to do and it came at exactly the right time,” said Les. “I needed to prove I had a sense of humour, rather than being this miserable git.

“Ricky said to me ‘play the most twisted, demented version of what people think you are’ and it was great fun to spoof myself. You have got to poke fun occasionally.”

Les also worked with Gervais on the sitcom Life Is Too Short last year, starring alongside Keith Chegwin and Shaun Williamson. The trio are lined up to appear in a second series too.

“Ricky is really nice and great to work with. When we work together he makes it very easy. The day is full of laughter and you get the work done. As you can see from the outtakes, we have a job doing it without laughing.”

Les Dennis stars in Legally Blonde alongside X Factor runner up Ray Quinn at Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre from Tuesday, June 5 to Saturday, June 16. Tickets £17 to £47, concessions £3 off. Box office 01227 787787.