Peter Pan, The Mayflower, Southampton

FEW personalities are lucky enough to be known solely by their first name, but Nadia?

A year ago she was simply an unknown 27-year-old Portuguese-born bank clerk from Surrey.

Now, thanks to Big Brother, everyone knows exactly who Nadia Almada is - and that's why she shares top billing at this year's Mayflower pantomime.

Guess who got the biggest cheer for their first walk-on? It was Nadia. And despite what can be best described as a ropey one-dimensional performance as The Mermaid (Nadia couldn't hold a song if it was stitched on with sequins) the audience screamed their approval for the bejewelled wonder when she took her bow at the finale.

Do the audience care? Certainly not. They came to see beloved Nadia and she milked an enthusiastic Mayflower audience who witnessed a truly enchanting pantomime.

This was not one of your classic "He's behind you" pantos, but a spellbinding visual treat and with not a buxom Dame in sight.

Peter Pan is a professional and pacy production which at times borders on the breathtaking.

Paul Nicholas has star quality in abundance. He was superb as Mr Darling and also the fearsome Captain Hook. His was an engaging character, and Nicholas's performance was as polished as Nadia's necklace.

But flying high above everyone was the impeccable and energetic Peter Pan, played by Sarah Jane Honeywell, more of a familiar face on some of the BBC's pre-school programmes. What a talent this lady is - a wonderful stage presence, beautiful singing voice, and pretty darn good while attached to a wire soaring above the theatre.

The children in the audience loved her, and their faces when the curtain came down were filled with joy.

This is the feelgood panto of the festive season, with a spongetastic finale. I guarantee you will leave the theatre with a smile on your face.