I'm off to be the wizard! It's 34 years since Russell 認める trod the London Palladium boards, now he's returning as the new Wizard of Oz

By Dan Wootton Updated: 15:52 BST, 11 February 2012

Russell 認める 試験的に steps の上に the 伝説の 行う／開催する／段階 of an almost 砂漠d London Palladium, 34 years after his last 業績／成果 there.

He wipes 涙／ほころびs from his 注目する，もくろむs and whispers to himself, '井戸／弁護士席, 井戸／弁護士席, 井戸／弁護士席, I never thought I'd come 支援する here like this.'

He tells me later, 'Do you know what it's like 存在 up there again? It's like love. Love the second time around. When it's sweeter.'

Russell 認める's 復帰 story could have been stolen from a hard-to- believe TV movie as he nearly ended it all before re-現れるing as a superstar

The astrologer's 復帰 story could have been stolen from a hard-to- believe TV movie: the king of 1980s breakfast TV 攻撃する，衝突するs 激しく揺する 底（に届く） for almost two １０年間s, ballooning to 26 石／投石する and nearly ending it all, before re-現れるing as a superstar thanks to an ありそうもない 外見 on a dancing show where he was blown out of a 大砲 for 13 million テレビ視聴者s.

What's more, that stint on 厳密に Come Dancing captivated the attention of Andrew Lloyd Webber, who 招待するd the 復帰 kid to the one place he never thought he'd find himself again... the West End 行う／開催する／段階. Russell can't believe his fairytale has come true.?

During our interview he's in 涙／ほころびs three times, 圧倒するd by how different his life is today from a year ago. He's in the middle of a 残虐な rehearsal schedule for a three-month stint 取って代わるing the 伝説の Michael Crawford as the Wizard of Oz. Andrew has even re-written parts of the musical to incorpo 率 Russell's unique dance moves and former 厳密に 裁判官 Arlene Phillips is honing the 決まりきった仕事.

Russell 認める with Andrew Lloyd Webber

Just two weeks earlier, Russell had been 召喚するd from his home in North むちの跡s to Lord Lloyd-Webber's Sydmonton 法廷，裁判所 広い地所 in Berkshire, a place he last visited 25 years ago, when 'Andrew used to 持つ／拘留する 審議s and summer parties there'. にもかかわらず it 存在 a dream 役割, Russell, who is now 15 石／投石する and getting はしけ by the week, had to be 納得させるd to take it on with just a ten-day rehearsal period.

'I was worried as I was 予定 to have an 操作／手術 on my 膝, which has now been 延期するd,' he says. The former Butlin's Redcoat, who has appeared in more than 30 musicals and comedies, was first at the Palladium in the ensemble for Hans Andersen with Tommy Steele in 1978. 'I'm 61 now. At this age you know your 制限s. But you also sense your mortality. So there was a two-way thing going on. I was trying to talk myself out of it, thinking, "Can't I just go 支援する to むちの跡s?"'

But Russell was 納得させるd by Andrew, with a bit of help from his の近くに friend Lulu. For the first time in years he's moved to London, leaving his partner at their 30-acre Snowdonia 広い地所. Doug Beaumont was an actor when they met but now manages 面s of Russell's career, 含むing his famous website. They've been together for 40 years.

'He hates to be talked about,' Russell says, before whispering mischievously, 'just let me say this: it was him who 手配中の，お尋ね者 me to do it. He said, "It's the London Palladium. If you look 支援する in a year's time after deciding not to do it, how will you feel?"'

The 涙／ほころびs return. Is he proud of you? 'He must be,' Russell smiles. For years, Russell 削減（する） himself off from the 残り／休憩（する） of the world, as his career floundered and both his grandmothers ? the two people in the world he was closest to ? died from Alzheimer's.

'I distanced myself from people の近くに to me. I thought, "Leave. Me. Alone!" My friends would say, "We're here when you need us", but I wouldn't want to talk to them. I wouldn't even want to go out.' He remembers the exact date he decided to turn his life around: 5 January, 2009.

'I thought, "I've got to do better." The one thing I knew I was 行方不明の was showbiz.' Those dark days are behind him now. Russell has a 単独の show at the Edinburgh Festival this year and there are six 申し込む／申し出s for TV programmes on the （米）棚上げする／（英）提議する. But astrology, the 'hobby' that made him famous, is still important.

'It ハイジャック（する）d my career, as people didn't realise I was a performer first. But if I hadn't become a famous astrologer then I would never have done 厳密に,' he says. For many washed-up 星／主役にするs who go 負かす／撃墜する the reality TV 大勝する, money is the 動機づけるing factor. But that wasn't the 事例／患者 with Russell.

Russell in 1980 busy with some astrology work

'Money's never been an 問題／発行する with me,' he 強調する／ストレスs. 'The 1980s were good to me.' You didn't need to do 厳密に for your 財政／金融s then? 'Oh my God, no!' he groans. So you could live on your astrology work comfortably for the 残り／休憩（する） of your life? 'Oh yes. And some. If this was about money I'd have done Celebrity Big Brother or gone into the ジャングル.'

Russell had ロビーd for a 調書をとる／予約するing on 厳密に for over two years. He 結局 納得させるd the show's (n)役員／(a)執行力のある 生産者 during a 会合 at Manchester's Malmaison Hotel, where he stunned the hotel 妨げる／法廷，弁護士業 with an impromptu 決まりきった仕事 ('it was a samba waltz but I didn't know it at the time,' he says).

He jumps up to 論証する the moves, before asking me, 'Now, does that count as rhythm?' It's the same question he asked the BBC bosses. They must have thought so because they 調印するd him within 48 hours. Now, against all 半端物s, he's the surprise favourite to 取って代わる Alesha Dixon on 厳密に's 裁判官ing パネル盤.

復帰: Russell with Anita Dobson on the 始める，決める of 厳密に Come Dancing

'Can you believe it?' he enthuses. 'I'd love to do it. But I think with four guys sitting in a 列／漕ぐ／騒動, 含むing three gayers, it's not going to happen darling!' After his 厳密に 復帰, Russell visited the church in Middlesex where he was 長，率いる choirboy as a lad. He'd made a momentous 決定／判定勝ち（する）.

'It might sound morbid but I decided to reserve my burial 陰謀（を企てる）,' he 明らかにする／漏らすs. 'I want to know where I'm going to be in the end. I'd rather be in Middlesex where I grew up. It's a beautiful church ? it moulded me for the first 15 years of my life. If I could go there every day I would.'

He was brought up in a 会議 house by his 始める，決める designer father Frank and 長官 mother Joan, who both worked at Pinewood Studios. にもかかわらず his parents separating when he was 11 and Russell moving in with his maternal grandmother, he had a happy childhood. He's always 辞退するd to criticise his parents, who are both still alive and will be coming to see him as the Wizard. Does anything make him angry?

'I only get mad over tiny things. I'm such a perfectionist. I tend to （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域 myself up. I want things to be 権利. But I don't get mad at other people.' When I raise the 問題／発行する of Alzheimer's, however, Russell's delightful demeanour changes. Seeing his grandmothers' 拒絶する／低下する ? Alice died in 1994 and Lilly three years later ? was a 重要な factor behind his 不景気. It's the one 問題／発行する where he's not worried about 存在 political.

'There's so much international 援助（する） going out. I'm not 説 stop it. But couldn't we 持つ／拘留する a little bit 支援する to support Alzheimer's 研究 and find a cure?' he asks. 'If we did we'd save so much on the NHS because people wouldn't need the same support.' Russell has 以前 spoken of his 恐れるs of the 病気 存在 genetic. Does he want to f ind out for himself?

'I believe in 早期に 実験（する）ing ? and I would do it.' As things stand he has no 計画（する）s to slow 負かす／撃墜する ? making up for his break in the showbiz wilderness is the 優先. 'When I やめる all those years ago it wasn't a 欠如（する） of 願望（する） for showbiz. It was because I was looking after my grandmas and had gone up to that 大規模な 負わせる. But now if I can do a Bruce Forsyth and get another 25 years in this 商売／仕事 that would be amazing.' Maybe it's written in the 星／主役にするs…

Russell starts in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Wizard Of Oz at the London Palladium on Tuesday. www.wizardofozthemusical.com or tel: 0844 412 2957.