FINE dining and ice skating aren’t the only skills Happy Mondays star Bez has mastered over the past 12 months – he’s now cracked acting, too.

I can reveal the Mancunian music legend has filmed a cameo in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks and bosses were so impressed, they now want to sign him full-time.

Bez, who is currently starring in Dancing On Ice having got to the final four of Celebrity MasterChef last year, is tempted by the offer as he enjoyed his short stint in the show so much.

A soap insider said: “Hollyoaks bosses were genuinely surprised by how good Bez is on camera.

“There is belief the role could be expanded, leading to Bez becoming a regular star.

“He plays himself, but given it’s in soapland, there’s no reason why he can’t continue seemingly living his own life in the village.”

Bez appears next month when Tony Hutchinson books him as a guest DJ for The Dog In The Pond’s club night, set up to rival the Love Boat’s Ibiza event.

Bez gets caught in the crossfire when the two bar owners go head-to-head for the best party in the village.

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Hollyoaks love a celebrity signing nearly as much as they used to enjoy flogging calendars featuring their sexiest cast members posing in swimwear.

They currently have ex-Loose Woman Denise Walsh, Eternal singer Kelle Bryan and former EastEnders star Richard Blackwood on the books.

In previous years, they’ve given cameos to a host of famous faces including Boy George, Vernon Kay and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Bez, real name Mark Berry, is putting further talks with Hollyoaks chiefs on hold until he’s finished his time in ITV’s Dancing on Ice.

His debut alongside pro partner Angela Egan on January 16 saw him performing to Happy Mondays hit Step On, wearing a melon-themed helmet inspired by the band’s famous lyric “You’re twisting my melons, man”.

Given that Bez’s skating is as shaky as his famous maracas, I don’t think Hollyoaks will be waiting too long before negotiations can start.

Kev role with no1 fan Sheri

SHERIDAN SMITH was Kelvin Fletcher's No1 fan when he was on Strictly and now she’s finally got her mitts on him.

The actress stars alongside the former Emmerdale hunk in new drama The Teacher, in which she plays the deeply troubled Jenna – who is accused of having a drunken sexual encounter with a pupil.

She also becomes fixated with Kelvin’s character Jack, a flirty married fellow teacher. Their relationship threatens to become a full-blown affair.

Sheridan said: “ I always thought he was a great actor.

“He’s a really nice guy and Jenna has a really complex relationship with his character. She’s so lost, she’s craving love but in all the wrong places and he’s a married man.”

The Teacher will air on Channel 5 next Monday at 9pm and the four hour-long episodes play out on consecutive days that week.

Her role made Sheridan realise she loves drama. She added: “Acting will always be my passion. I did some presenting for a while and I was really grateful for those jobs because I did love them – especially Pooch Perfect as I’m a mad dog lover.

“But I found the presenting quite nerve-racking and I think I’ll probably do less of it now that we’re out of lockdown.”

Jenner's in Aussie celeb BB

CELEBRITY Big Brother returns to our screens next month – or at least the Australian version will.

The antipodean spin on the classic reality TV show will include Caitlyn Jenner, Married at First Sight’s Jessika Power and Thomas Markle Jr – the half-brother of Meghan Markle.

Airing on E4, it will see a dozen famous faces compete over 11 weeks to bag a cash jackpot for charity.

However, the difference this time is that they’ll all be seen inhabiting the show’s first ever “luxury hotel”.

But don’t expect The Ritz – this ‘luxury’ accommodation will obviously come with a typical Celebrity Big Brother twist…

Real northerner Sarah

SARAH JAYNE DUNN proves she’s a real northerner by enjoying a rooftop dinner in mid-January.

The former Hollyoaks star was joined by husband Jonathan Smith at 20 Stories in Manchester on Sunday.

Her night out came days after she made subscriptions to her OnlyFans account free of charge after a number of her revealing snaps were leaked online.

Sarah’s determination to stick to the saucy website resulted in her being axed from the Channel 4 soap after playing Mandy Richardson on and off since 1996.

12-tonne cacti is Sir David

VISITING his local garden centre must be so dull for Sir David Attenborough after filming Green Planet.

Central to the fourth episode of the BBC1 series, which airs this Sunday at 7pm, is a visit to Cactus Island in Isla Pedro Martir, an island off the coast of Mexico which is home to a million cardon cacti – some weighing in at 12 tonnes.

It’s a nesting ground for hundreds of blue-footed and brown boobies.

These birds’ droppings consist mainly of the digested remains of fish, and not only give off a terrible stench but also provide the necessary nutrients the cacti need to survive.

I’d prefer two weeks in Norfolk, personally.

Wife of Ben Foden lashes out

THE wife of Ben Foden has lashed out at Dancing on Ice after her rugby player hubby was booted off on Sunday.

Jackie Smith Foden took to Instagram to blast the ITV show, saying: “The worst skater wasn’t the first to go, so I don’t really see the point.”

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