He once said he would never do it again but on Sunday night Norman Cook stepped up to the decks for the third Big Beach Boutique, not in Brighton this time but in Rio.

Barefoot and sun-kissed, he seemed overwhelmed as he walked on stage to the cheers and whistles of more than 300,000 revellers on the white sand of Flamengo beach.

Norman, alias Fatboy Slim, hugged his friend and fellow DJ Jon Carter, who had warmed the crowd to near boiling point ready for the original funk soul brother.

In true Fatboy style, Norman brought the tempo down with a slow version of the Brazilian classic The Girl From Ipanema.

The crowd sang along and waved flags with smiley faces, Union Flags and messages including We Love You Fatboy.

Norman then cranked it up with a storming dance tune he had mixed for the event.

Called Rio, it included a cheeky sample of the Duran Duran hit. He held the record sleeve to the camera so his message I Made This For You, written in Portuguese, was revealed on the giant video wall behind him.

As the crowd screamed in appreciation he flipped the sleeve to show another note which said I Will Never Play This Anywhere Else.

Norman arrived in Rio last Wednesday and obviously had a couple of lessons in Portuguese.

Shaking with nerves, he glanced momentarily to the side of the stage where his wife Zoe Ball was supporting him in the best way she knew how - hands in the air and partying hard.

Bronzed and glowing, Zoe danced with her heavily pregnant best pal Sara Cox, who had flown out that morning to support her husband Jon Carter.

Both girls swigged bottled water to help combat the humid 26C heat.

Zoe said: "I'm not drinking tonight. Sara can't drink because she's pregnant and it wouldn't be fair of me to get drunk when she can't, so we're both on water."

As Norman continued his playful two-hour set - at one point ducking behind his decks and reappearing clad in a Pele football shirt - Zoe and Sara headed backstage to their private VIP beach area with white leather sofas and orange bean bags.

With stunning views of Sugar Loaf Mountain in the background, the girls giggled and chatted with friends including Zoe's brother Nick, who was filming documentary footage of the event.

Zoe said: "Norman was really nervous. In Brighton he can get away with playing an all right set because people love him there. In Rio he really has to prove himself.

"But they sold more copies of the Big Beach Boutique DVD in Brazil than anywhere else so they must like him.

"Before he went on he was pacing, I was pacing. He was really shaking as well. How he can get up on stage and DJ when he is shaking so much I don't know. I mean, he has to put a needle on a record - I'd be totally rubbish.

"But once he gets into it you just see his nerves disappear. Once the crowd start going for it he relaxes.

"I go up and dance for the first three songs then I let him get on with it.

"No one wants to see a DJ's wife going mental in the background, do they?

"I just go off backstage and have a drink and then come back for the final track.

"I like to be there for him when he walks off."