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MEET Ellesmere Port-educated John Prescott.

Not the long-serving politician and former Deputy Prime Minister, but the number one lookalike and tribute act to Sir Tom Jones.

It's not unusual to see John, who grew up in Pooltown Road, strutting his stuff on stages across the globe as the legendary Welsh singer and international sex bomb.

But the 49-year-old still remembers his roots and spoke to the Pioneer about his "whirlwind" career as a full-time lookalike during a visit back home.

John, who like his namesake attended the old Grange school in Regent Street, first emulated Sir Tom as a favour to a friend who used to do tribute act shows before being asked to go on the UK tour of the hit TV series Stars in their Eyes in 2003. He hasn't looked back since.

He said: "It's changed my life.

"It's just been a whirlwind few years. I spend a lot of time on the road but it's been fantastic."

Impersonating the much-loved popstar has seen John perform across the country as well as in America, Greece and even the Cayman Islands.

He has also starred in a film about Sir Tom with rock band The Lost Prophets, and appeared in Merseybeat and a TV commercial for Coronation Street.

John, a former milkman in the town who has also worked at Bowater's Bridgewater paper mill and Vauxhall Motors, admits that although the looks were never a problem, emulating the singer was a rather different challenge.

He explained: "I played guitar in school and have been in various bands. I was into Guns and Roses and AC/DC so Tom Jones was not really my type of music back then.
"It was a bit of task to take him off. That was the most difficult part but I studied him closely and now I love his music.

"The audiences are great. They treat it as the real thing. They want to live it so they come along and bombard the stage with knickers!"

So does John get the thumbs up from the man himself?

He said: "Everyone says you must have met him but I haven't yet. I'd love to meet him, there is still plenty of time. It'd be great to do a duet!"

A BEATLES fan literally had a 'ticket to ride' when she put a set of autographs of the Fab Four up for auction on Friday.

The autographs, contained on a Whitchurch Civic Hall ticket stub, sold for £2,300 at Halls in Shrewsbury after keen competition from two bidders.

The local buyer, a keen fan of The Beatles, held off competition from an eBay bidder.

The owner, who lives in Oswestry, collected the autographs when The Beatles played at Whitchurch Civic Hall in 1962, before they became famous.

Stewart Orr, toys expert at Halls, explained the woman had attended the concert with a friend at about the time of the group's first single, Love Me Do, which was released on October 5, 1962.

"She arrived early and was sitting in the foyer at Whitchurch Civic Hall waiting for a friend when Paul McCartney came in and asked if they wanted to meet the rest of the group backstage," he said.

"The only thing that the girls had to sign was the stub of a ticket for a concert by Chris Barber's Jazz Band. As an extra bonus, the owner of the autographs got to kiss John Lennon.

"The Beatles had just released their first single and were still carrying their own equipment to and from their van."

WIDNES-BORN Big Brother star Mario Marconi returns to the screen tonight in a new reality show.

Mario, 43, formerly of Moon Street, who appeared on the cult Channel 4 show earlier this year, can now be seen on the ITV2 show Celeb Air, alongside partner and fellow Big Brother contestant Lisa Appleton.

The couple, who now live in Lisa's home town of Warrington, will be passengers on a flight stewarded by other celebrities, such as former X Factor contestant Chico.

Mario said: "We're on there to cause a bit of havoc basically as each week one of the celebrity flight staff gets the sack.

"I'm not the best flyer and on the show Lisa has to provide me with the rescue remedy, but that's all I can say."

The couple, who have signed deals with Neon Management and OK magazine since leaving the Big Brother house, have been delighted with the reception given to them by the Widnes public.

Former stunt man and Royal Mail employee Mario said: "The response has been really good and I've been mobbed when I've been out in Widnes.

"It takes a couple of weeks to get used to having people who you don't know shouting your name in the street.

"It's especially weird when I get spotted walking around Asda in Widnes with my mum, so she's become a local celebrity as well."

Mario and Lisa, who became the first couple to compete in the Big Brother house, are now both hoping to pursue TV careers.

Mario is now in talks with TV bosses to film a fly on the wall style documentary, as well as negotiating coverage of his and Lisa's forthcoming marriage.