I was asked about panto quite soon after I got out and I thought that’d be fun

The Ansdell mother-of-three is casting aside the role as a Faithful in the hit television series The Traitors to don the cloak of The Evil Enchantress in Beauty and the Beast.

The family show will be first pantomime ever staged by Funny Girls and is due to hit the venue’s famous stage for a five day run from October 23.

For Diane – who was a teacher at the Isis Centre, in Blackpool, before retiring – it marks another new direction after a few months which have seen her appear on Loose Women and Comic Relief.

She laughed: “I am absolutely delighted to be performing in Blackpool for my very first panto and what fun time I’m going to have playing the evil Enchantress.

"The cast have been so welcoming and Blackpool is such a great place to entertain audiences and what an honour it is to be part of the first cast and production team to perform in the world famous Funny Girls for their debut family show.

“We are going to have lots of fun and laughter and inside such a theatrical historic venue it is quite simply magical.”

She added: “I was asked about the panto quite soon after I got out and I thought that’d be fun.

"I did say I can’t act but they're very happy with just me being myself and I hope that's true at the end.

"So that's coming up and then a couple of other projects, which will be one fairly soon and the other one, possibly not until next year.

"And then as I said the Great North Run, appearances and award evenings but I'm always up for doing a comedy show, if anybody's interested - I'd love to do that.

"To have a job where you’re just laughing all day long, that would be great wouldn’t it?”

Diane, who has three grandchildren aged five, three and two, is enjoying her new found fame which runs in the family as her son Ross was also on The Traitors with her while her elder son is actor Kerr Logan, who has been in shows like Game of Thrones and ITV's Victoria, and is married fellow actor Sara Vickers, who is best known for playing Joan Thursday in detective drama series Endeavour

And that’s not all, her daughter Lisa Swainsbury is a theatre actress, producer and writer and is married to Sam Swainsbury who is best known for his role as Jason in sitcom Mum as well as a role in Thor: The Dark World.

Reflecting on her experience after being catapulted into the limelight in her own right, Diane said: “It’s totally unexpected because one - I didn't expect to get on the show- and two - I certainly didn't expect to last.

"And it's been a privilege to have done it with a member of my family, such happy memories we’ve made together, it’s great.

"Then all these things - you know we're given platforms now to work on things that are close to our hearts as well.

"So we also have done Tough Mudder and we raised just under £2,000 for Alzheimer's -my dad passed away sadly with Alzheimer's.

"Then in September, I'm doing the Great North Run and again I'll be raising money for Alzheimer's because I was supposed to do it last year but I was being buried.

“I just think it's a privilege to be working with companies and campaigns and charities, using the platform from Traitors to make a difference.”

Next up is an appearance on Celebrity MasterChef later this summer alongside, among others, Geordie Shore star Charlotte Crosby, soap actress Danielle Harold and Steps member Ian “H” Watkins.

Diane, 64, added: "There’s been a couple of TV things which I cannot talk about, but you know, I've just absolutely loved it - people coming up to me, not necessarily so much where I live here but there's sort of an older generation around here.

"My kids say ‘oh, you're being noticed’ but everybody's very respectful and when people do come up it's just lovely because I can chat - as you can imagine - for a long time.

"The only thing is I wish people weren’t ‘so nervous… people get nervous being around celebrities and I'm considered a celebrity which is not quite true, it’s just me.

"If you want to go and chat to somebody just go and chat somebody, if you want a photograph, just go and ask them.

"Don't ever be worried or nervous about that. I find that a wee bit sad to think that people got so nervous.”

Beauty and The Beast is set to be the first panto to run at Funny Girls with nine performances from October 23 to 27.

There are two show times available with an 11am morning show and a 2.30pm matinee each day.

Tickets are already on sale priced £14.

Revealing an all star cast headlined by Diane Carson making her debut performance as The Evil Enchantress.

She will be joined by funnyman Adam Moss as Louis V’Ton, Britain’s Got Talent’s Mark Stuart-Wood as Pam O’Chocolat and X-Factor’s Johnny Wright (X-Factor) as Gaston.

Funny Girls leading lady Miss CeCe D’Vyne plays the Fabulous Fairy Rose with local performers Sophie Morrison as Belle and Stephen Rostron as The Beast making up the line-up.

Basil Newby, owner of Funny Girls, is thrilled to see the versatility of the building and venue being put to good use.

He said: “I used to come here as a child and to the Odeon cinema to watch Bugs Bunny so I am so happy that a new generation of theatre lovers can come and enjoy a being entertained with a fabulous fun filled pantomime.

"It’s very cinematic and theatrics in Funny Girls and with its long history of showbiz names playing here is a new era and new shows and a new audience so I hope many people and families of all ages will enjoy the venues theatrical history.

"It’s a the perfect place to host a pantomime.”