As dream jobs go, kissing Amanda Holden for a living would rate highly with at least half the population.

Throw in a couple of hours of physical activity and it's enough to get most men scribbling their applications.

The only drawbacks are the demanding song and dance routines and the knowledge every night's performance has to be perfect.

Adam Brooks, from Coldean, Brighton, will be giving it a shot for two weeks when he takes over the lead male role in Thoroughly Modern Millie alongside Amanda, who starred in the BBC TV series Cutting It.

He already has a smaller part in the musical, which is attracting rave reviews, but will be taking over as the heroine's love interest, Jimmy, at the end of January.

Adam said: "It's really lovely working with Amanda. She's really down-to-earth and normal. My nan came to see the show and Amanda said, 'Come in, nan'."

The cast also includes comedienne Maureen Lipman and Sheila Ferguson, from the Three Degrees.

He said: "Jimmy and Millie start hating one another and they are rowing and throwing insults at each other when they kiss. Which isn't a bad thing to do.

"Physically, it's like doing aerobics for two hours and on Thursdays and Saturdays we have a matinee as well.

"I did Phantom Of The Opera for two years and finished that five weeks after I started rehearsals for Thoroughly Modern Millie.

"I was rehearsing six days a week and then doing Phantom. But I am with it until August."

It's a long way from Falmer High School, where Adam first got the acting bug as a way of staying warm.

He said: "Friends and I decided to start up a drama class so we could stay in the hall and eat our sandwiches."

Adam moved to Lewes Technical College to take up theatre studies and then went to drama school in Guildford. He then gradually worked his way into the West End.

Proud dad Norman said: "He's a very talented lad and has put in a lot of hard work."

Norman and Adam's mum Marie live in Coldean while their son lives in Tooting, south London.

Adam said: "People say to me, 'You've made it to Broadway. Shame it's Tooting Broadway'."