Mikey from Big Brother signs up for Largs comedy gig

The monthly stand-up night has been one of the successes of the summer and Mikey, who hails from Kilwinning, says he cannot wait to bring his live comedy routine to one of his favourite towns in the west of Scotland on Friday, August 30, starting at 7.30pm.

And Mikey has revealed that he is even following in the footsteps of one of his comedy idols in Billy Connolly, who has himself also performed in The George, over 50 years ago, by introducing a ukulele into this act for the first time.

Mikey has been busy learning the ukulele and was actually getting his guitar restrung in Glasgow when the News interviewed the star.

The blind comedian did not face the public vote once throughout his entire stay in the house.

Mikey Hughes and Davina McCall in Big Brother (Image: Channel Four)

He finished the series in second place with 48.7 per cent of the public vote, and left the house on Day 93, narrowly missing out on the top prize of £100,000  with just one per cent between the two contestants in what was the show's closest ever final.

Mikey said: "I absolutely love the ukulele and have been learning to play with Visibility Scotland. It has a lovely sound and it is a gem of an instrument and I am determined to master it to add it as part of my routine.

"When I was wee I remember Billy Connolly and 'Big Banana Feet'  when he used to strum the ukulele and I thought why don't I do that as a tribute to Billy's legendary comedy."

The 48-year-old celeb says Largs is one of his favourite places, and remembers it well from when he was sighted as a kid, going into the amusement arcades of the town.

He said: "Largs is lovely. I remember going down the beach and skiffing with the flat stones, and I used to love the big amusements arcade on the seafront, The Cumbraen, as it had all the latest arcade games.

"It was first to get all the big arcade games on this side of Scotland - I remember being amazed that I could play Gauntlet 2 even before some places had got Gauntlet 1!

"I have also got happy memories of going to The Pencil and of a big slide at Kelburn Country Centre, and loved the view you got from the top of the hill and the train track to the iron ore yard."

Mikey lost his sight when he was 23 whilst undergoing an operation, but has not let it stop in his way, citing one of his biggest achievements, even above and beyond Big Brother, was obtaining an economics doctorate at Glasgow University in 2016.

He still very much gets recognised in the streets, and Mikey says that is how celebrity has changed him, that everyone knows him from his stint in Big Brother and still ask him questions about the memorable appearance even though it was 15 years ago.

Mikey Hughes as he appeared in Big Brother (Image: Channel Four)

The picture of Mikey leaving the Big Brother house and being greeted by Davina McCall was one of the iconic moments of that year's series.

Mikey said: "Davina was very nice to me and she found me funny, so I am really looking forward to performing to a Largs audience at a place I loved and had a lot of time for when I grew up.

"Look out for some Viking jokes, and one of the things I will be discussing is the new blind Barbie doll. I don't want to give too much away but look out for a wee performance of the ukulele and a very special rendition of 'Barbie Girl'.

Mikey loves talking about his time on Big Brother and got to know another Big Brother star well in Federico Martone who he described as a 'legend'.

He has also spent a few night with Kevin Bridges watching another master comedian at work, and is looking forward to bringing his own comedic skills to Ayrshire.

He added: "The Edinburgh Fringe might be very popular at this time of year but there is nowhere rather I'd be than performing in Largs!

"I have done two gigs already in Glasgow this year, and I can't wait to bring my new material to The George."