21 Sep 2026
Panto season has come round very fast and some of the cast of Evolution’s Beauty and the Beast are at the Alban Arena desperate to meet me, including former EastEnder Joe Swash and new pantomime dame Michael J Batchelor.
Having barely finished my Gregg’s Vegan Roll, I find myself dazzled by white teeth and a shiny green jumpsuit kinda-outfit as someone bounds over to us in the Arena reception. “I’m Joe,” he says. I know it’s him. Because I saw him at Ally Pally a few months ago. And I’ve seen him not just in real life but on the telly too.
As we walk through the downstairs foyer and up to the lunch event on the first floor, it’s hard not to engage in friendly chit-chat. I ask Joe about his move from Pickle Cottage which was for a long time thought to be the forever home for his family – wife Stacey Solomon and their kids. He said it has now been sold and that they’ve moved “a bit further out” so that they can adopt more animals and grow more vegetables.
I tell him that I’ve always enjoyed how real Stacey is as we both grab some food at the buffet table before the interview.
Sitting in the upstairs foyer on the sofas are this year’s dame Michael J Batchelor, alongside Kane Oliver Parry (Danton), Lottie Stone (Belle) and Phoebe Nixon (Fairy Cupid).
We sit at the same table where I interviewed Steve McFadden ahead of last year’s panto, and it’s time to have a proper chat with Joe.
He tells me he was last in panto two years ago at The Grove in Dunstable which was also Beauty and the Beast: “I’m in the same costume, which I’m very proud of. My kids love it. They still talk about it now and they are looking forward to seeing it this year here. I feel like that’s part of the beauty of doing panto runs.”
I ask him to elaborate on who he is playing: “Basically, it’s like Buttons. Cinderella’s got Buttons but I’m Phillipe Fillop. I’m Belle’s brother.”
He said he will hopefully bring some energy to the roleand a bit of humour. “And your beautiful teeth?” I add. He grins: “My beautiful teeth, yeah.”
He will be staying locally during the performances: “And then when [son] Rex finishes school, he’ll come. He’s basically like my mini PA. He’s seven. He was five last time, and he loved it.”
Does he know St Albans well? “I haven’t spent too much time here. What I’ve seen of it so far, it’s beautiful, and it’s got a lot of history which I’m always interested in.”
He famously played Mickey Miller in EastEnders from 2003-2008, returning briefly in 2011 and 2024 – would he like to go back to Albert Square again?
“Well, listen, it’s one of those things that are out of my hands.
“I love EastEnders, I love the place, the people, I’ve got great memories there, so I would definitely, definitely consider going back, but it’s never been right so far.
“Look, they bring people back from the dead. If they really want you, they’ll find a way of getting you, and they know where I am.”
I bring the conversation back to our earlier chat on the stairs and the news that broke the previous day about moving out of Pickle College.
I can’t hide my excitement that they have moved to rescue more animals – that would be my dream.
“I’m vegan – I love animals so much!” I gush, before realising I’m wearing my leather jacket and feel slightly embarrassed. I do feel bad about it but I have had it years and can’t bring myself to throw it out.
But Joe is really friendly and relaxed with a reassuring presence so the conversation quickly moves on to the new home of the Solomon-Swashes: “We’ve got chickens and we’ve got ducks, and we’ve got dogs and cats, and we’ve got some Shetland ponies.
“Yeah, so whenever we can rescue an animal or if there are rescue centres that are overspilling, we’ve got a bit of space where they can come. The kids love it. The kids have such compassion for animals.”
Obviously I have to ask him if he’s planning on being on anymore reality shows following his appearances in the likes of Celebrity Masterchef, Dancing on Ice and I’m a Celebrity.
“I mean, Traitors is a good one. I wouldn’t mind doing that one. Race Across the World looks exciting.”
“What about Strictly?” I ask.
“You know what, Strictly might be a bit… I can’t dance.
“I’ve done Dancing on Ice, but I was sort of dragged around on that. Dancing might be beyond my skill set. But you know what? I’m in a really, really blessed position where I get to try out and experiment with new things like Dancing on Ice, going in the jungle, and stuff like that. So, yeah, I’m always up for a challenge.”
The message behind Beauty and the Beast is obviously one of not judging people on outward appearances, so does Joe think that we spend too much time worrying about what people look like? “I think we’re living in a time in society where we have stuff shoved down our necks.There’s so much media out there. You know, everything’s so accessible to everybody. So, I just think, yeah, look, some people do worry about the way they look. It does consume them, you know. And I can see why, because everyone on TV seems to be perfect. Six-packs, beautiful lips, teeth, you know.
“But I just think beauty’s a lot deeper than that. I fell in love with Stacey because she was beautiful, but also because of the person she was. I think kids these days, they’re exposed to a lot more than they should be.”
This brings us onto talking about neurodiversity, after Joe said he grew up with ADHD and dyslexia: “The education system didn’t suit me at all. They had to force me into it.”
He was actually only diagnosed only year: “I always sort of knew – I’d come in and out of the house three or four times because I’d left the keys and when I had the keys, I left the phone. I’ve now got Apple tags on my keys and my phone number on it!”
“That bit of it does drive me crazy. It does consume quite a lot of my time.”
He described himself as “just a regular kid at school” and added “But in reality, I was a kid in school that really didn’t understand what was going on. I was always up to mischief because school was not designed for me. People would be learning in the classroom and getting on with things and I’d be like, ‘I don’t understand any of this’. “So, it was a relief when I found out that I wasn’t just a crazy kid.”
Joe said he is really excited to be doing panto in St Albans and can’t wait to get out and about exploring its heritage as he loves visiting historical places.
Taking over from his friend Bob Golding as the dame is Michael J Batchelor, and just like Bob, he is taking up a lot of room at the table with his huge skirted dress and voluminous hair.
“I’ve made and designed a lot of the dames’ frocks for Evolution over the years and Bob’s basically worn most of the stuff I’ve made over time. He’s brilliant and really funny, we get on like a house on fire.
“But what’s so fab is that him and I are at totally opposite ends of the dame spectrum. So he is very much a man in a dress. Whereas my dame, her background comes from my mum who was a hairdresser, she’s all those old girls who used to sit under the dryers chatting, she’s a fat, fascinating, slightly drunk auntie!”
This is Michael’s 27th pantomime and 15th one with Evolution.
“I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve already been here a couple of times this year and it’s lovely. I’m originally from Canterbury, so it feels very similar.
“Today I’ve been in the auditorium and stood on the stage. There’s not a bad seat in there, so I’m really excited to do panto in that space. Because as I look around, I’m going to be able to see every face, so it’s going to be really fab.”
He’s even tested the newly reupholstered chairs: “They’re ever so comfy. I haven’t tried all of them yet, I haven’t got time for that, but I have tried a couple of them!”
Michael says his mum and dad will come to see the show alongside his mother’s best friend Jenny: “They’ve been mates since they were three, so she’s like my second mum, and I grew up with her daughter so she’s like my sister.”
He is also bringing some of his past crowd with him as he has already had messages from people who know him from previous venues saying they’ve booked for the Arena.
He explained how he came to become a pantomime dame: “I was 16 and a friend of mine -who’s coming to the show – said he was doing amateur dramatics and putting on a panto for charity.
Although he initially turned down the opportunity of playing Widow Twankey in Aladdin his friend was very persistent and the rest is history. And when he heard there was no money for costumes he taught himself to sew so he could make his own, such as the steampunk-inspired get-up he’s wearing today.
“I’m playing Beauty’s mum, and whereas in the Disney film her dad is an inventor, in this version, we’re doing it with my i at role, hence why I’m wearing this steampunk dress with the cogs and all that sort of thing, and I’ve got another outfit in the show with a giant spanner going through it.
“But also because my dame is a bit more of a big old mum, I’ve got a lot more accessories, so jewellery to match and all that sort of thing. She’s still a fat bloke in a dress dame, but just a little bit more twinkly.”
Did his mum do his hair today? “She made this wig. We have done stuff over the years. I made this costume and this hat.”
I ask Michael about his Dachshund Dottie (see, I’ve done my research!): “Aw yes… she’s four and a half. Her brothers and her mum and dad are all these little tiny dogs with two inch legs, but she’s this sausage who’s two and a half feet long with massive legs. I call her the anti-runt, but she’s brilliant!”
I am interested about what it is like to play a dame and how he manages to take on a different gender: “Any good dame really is a heightened version of yourself. I mean, I was born with this voice, so I don’t have to do an awful lot with it
because this is what I sound like. And once you get your wig on and your face and whatever, you feel different. You’re more in character. Whereas in day-to-day life, I’m actually fairly quiet most of the time.”
I ask him about singing and he says his favourite song in pantomime is It’s Fabulous Baby from Sister Act, which sums him up as a dame.
“It’s literally like ‘Look at me, can’t you see I’m fabulous baby?’ It’s like a big sort of Motown-y number. It’s always been one of my favourites.”
Everybody has said the same thing to Michael – that the St Albans audiences are really up for panto: “They want to have a good time and they want to have a laugh and they want to enjoy it. That’s what I’m hoping for, because the thrill of doing panto is having an audience that gives you so much, becuase the more they give you, the more you can react.”
After decades of pantomimes, presumably his Christmases are focused on a brief break from the show? “Basically, my Christmases have always been me in my pyjamas, having a bit of dinner, because you only get one day off a week.”
How does he make sure he stays well and keeps up his energy throughout the run of the show?
“Some nights you’re like, no, I need to go home. I need to go to bed early tonight. Or if you’ve got a gap between shows, you just shut your eyes for five minutes, that sort of thing.
“It is hard if you’re not feeling very well, but when you’ve got a panto audience who are shouting and laughing and enjoying the evening, it gives you that extra bit of adrenaline to pick you up to get on and to do it.”
“Yeah, you couldn’t dress like that and be in a bad mood, really…” I add.
He agrees: “Nobody can do the dame if they don’t want to do it. If you want to do it, and you enjoy doing it, and you get the reaction out of the audience from doing it, then it’s a no-brainer.”
What’s his favourite make-up brand, I wondered? It’s not really giving off subtle vibes: “I use a lot of Rimmel stuff. Only because my mum does.
“The base has to be a bit thicker, because I use a special stuff that they use to cover tattoos. So I put that round where my beard line is, so then it helps to cover that a bit more and then slap it all on the top. It takes minutes to remove because I just slap baby oil on my face, wipe it off and that’s it, done.”
The show runs from December 4 to January 3 at the Alban Arena. For tickets click here.
