WHOEVER knew that former footballer Chris Kamara could sing?

Well, the now television sports presenter showed he can stretch his vocal chords with some of the best of them as he starred in a one-off variety night of entertainment in Southampton.

The Mayflower theatre was the venue as 1,400 people helped to raise more than £29,000 and heard Chris sing his own renditions of Brown-Eyed Girl and Robbie Williams's Angels as part of Top Variety Night in aid of The Bangladeshi Flood Appeal.

Cornish comedian Jethro and TV favourite Bobby Davro headlined nearly four hours of variety entertainment.

Music came in the form of the superb pop choirs E Minor and En Masse, ably supported by singers Lacie Hall, Karen Noble and actor Sam Kane.

Although the show did lose its way in the middle, Southampton comedian and co-organiser Mike Osman was excellent, and along with Mick Miller, Gary Marshall and Richard Digance, ensured a healthy comedy momentum was maintained.

It was good to laugh with a variety of live comic acts, even though the jokes seemed to surround common themes of marriage, sex and growing old.

Sadly, actress Pauline Quirke, comedian Bradley Walsh and television handy man Tommy Walsh, who had all been billed to appear, were absent due to work commitments.

Co-organiser Kuti Miah will put the money towards a medical centre and sheltered housing in his native Sunamgonj region of Bangladesh, which was devastated by floods last summer.

For more pictures see page 8 of today's Daily Echo.