SHE'S a household face, jolly and talented -- and Lisa Riley is bringing her special brand of warmth to Blackpool this summer.

Best known as Emmerdale's outrageous Mandy Dingle, Lancashire lass Lisa will be hosting The Best of West End and Broadway at Blackpool's Opera House on Sunday evenings from July 15 to October 28.

The Bury-born actress told The Citizen she is really looking forward to hosting the show in Blackpool.

"We have got songs from 15 West End shows from Grease to Miss Saigon --all my favourites -- and I bring it all together. I give you the background to all the shows. Then I interview the four singers and then I get to sing as well which is very exciting!"

She joins top performers such as Claire Moore, currently playing Anna in the King & I at the London Palladium and Norman Bowman, who is playing Tony in the current national tour of West Side Story.

Lisa said: "I want to get back to the stage. I was trained in musical theatre and I love that feeling of the audience there. It's very exciting."

Lisa trained at the Oldham Workshop Theatre before going on to appear in BBC television dramas and, eventually, Emmerdale. She was booked to play Mandy Dingle for just two episodes, but didn't leave for another four and a half years!

"If a good story-line came along then maybe I'd be tempted to go back. I know Mandy was hugely popular because she said the unspeakable and wore the most outrageous clothes and was not bothered. I suppose I made her like that," said Lisa.

Lisa admits she can be quite like Mandy. "With Lisa Riley, what you see is what you get," she said.

For ticket information phone the box office on 292029.