Lee Mead has spoken of his pride about appearing in hit West End musical Wicked, a show he admired as a struggling performer.
The Any Dream Will Do winner told the Sunday Mail that he tried to check Wicked out when it first opened in New York and he was performing there as a rookie, but it was all sold out.
Now, he said he is thrilled to be appearing in it himself.
“I think of myself as really lucky as [Wicked] has taken the whole world by storm,” Mead remarked.
However, given that he now performs in eight shows a week, he added that he does have to take an occasional afternoon nap to keep up with the musical and his baby daughter Betsy.
Mead is sure to be glad of his forthcoming five-week holiday and told the newspaper he may spend some of it in Tuscany with his family.
Wicked broke a box-office record in June 2010 when it was revealed that it has grossed £100 million since opening in September 2006.