Paul Zerdin

Shortly afterwards, at the age of 20, Zerdin landed a two-year contract presenting the Disney-produced children's programme Rise and Shine for GMTV.

The experience introduced him to Nigel Lythgoe, who took Zerdin under his wing, paving the way for appearances on shows including Tonight at the London Palladium and The Generation Game.

The magazine added that "His quick wit, rapport with the crowd and astonishing skills with puppet Sam turn the often toe-curling audience participation bits (don't sit in the front row) into genuinely hilarious moments.

"[4] In 2015, Zerdin auditioned for the tenth season of America's Got Talent, successfully earning a place in the live rounds of the contest, before eventually winning the finals on 16 September 2015.

Entitled Mouthing Off, it ran for four months in 2016, between 14 May and 4 September, at Planet Hollywood, before closing due to low attendance figures.