EX-EastEnders stars Nigel Harman and Shaun Williamson paid a visit to Southampton's Mayflower theatre yesterday.

The pair are deep in preparation for a two-week run in the hit musical Guys and Dolls.

Heartthrob Nigel, who starred in the West End run of the show after leaving his role in the BBC1 soap as Dennis Rickman, said: "I can't shake this show off. They keep asking me to do it and I can't say no because it's phenomenal.

"I think it's a brilliant production. This Guys and Dolls is really special. It's a joy to do, except when I'm sweating after seven or eight minutes of solid dancing!"

Shaun, who was best known as Barry Evans in the soap and has recently completed a run in Comic Relief's Fame Academy, added: "I'm thrilled to be doing my first leading musical theatre role and it's a big challenge for me especially the dancing!"

Nigel Harman will star as Sky Masterson and Shaun Williamson as Nathan Detroit in the national production of Guys and Dolls next month.

Southampton is the only venue on the national tour in which Nigel Harman will star.

The show tells the story of the hardened gamblers and their desperate quest to put on a dice game.

Nathan bets Sky $1,000 he can't make the next woman he sees fall in love with him and when the next woman turns out to be a very straight-laced local missionary, the fun begins.

Guys and Dolls includes some of the best-known songs of all time from Luck Be a Lady to Sit Down Your Rockin' the Boat.