A pantomime understudy is getting rave reviews after stepping into the shoes of a TV star who fractured her leg.

Terri Moore, 20, from Peacehaven, took over the reins as Tom in Mother Goose at Worthing when Emma Wray had to pull out.

Emma, star of the TV comedy Watching, struggled on for several performances but had to call it a day when the strain became too much.

Now Terri, a professional dancer, who was in the chorus line of the Connaught Theatre production, has jumped at her chance to top the bill with Frazer Hines, from Emmerdale.

She is doing two shows a day to sell-out audiences at the Union Place venue until January 12.

Terri, who has been dancing since the age of four, said: "I didn't actually have a rehearsal and was thrown in at the deep end but I knew what I was doing. I was very pleased with how I coped with everything."

She had only hours to learn her lines and perfect a song routine before treading the boards in front of a live, paying audience.

Theatre spokeswoman Debbie Clare said Emma suffered a hairline fracture of the knee before the Mother Goose run started.

She added: "It was proving to be very uncomfortable but Terri has been absolutely fantastic."