I know people discover unusual gifts' they possess at an early age Uri Geller and his spoon bending is one example, but Ken Webster decided he wanted to be a hypnotist for entertainment when he was just nine years of age.

Now described as the world's most outrageous comedy hypnotist' his career choice seems to have paid off. And it's paid off lucratively with him kept constantly in demand at home, the Far East, Middle East and tomorrow night in Croydon.

"Ah, pastures new," he says when we speak, "Never been to Croydon before so I'm intrigued as to what the audience will be like."

His shows are for adults only, so one presumes that there's a saucy reason for this based on just what he gets his victims' to do.

"My work is not offensive but it is for grown ups. Just because it's described as an adult show doesn't mean you will see nudity or anyone doing sexual things!

"It's not like that. I do use the F word and I am not a conformer to being PC, in fact I ignore PC. I am what I am, I have my beliefs and express them on stage," he stresses.

"I am reliant on the audience. I feed off them "I don't have plants' in the audience and I don't watch the audience arrive or monitor them beforehand.

"That's what makes this job that little bit unpredictable, but never dangerous.

"I can go down a treat in Scarborough and fall flat on my face in Doncaster! I hope Croydon is a good night."

He has earned praise from stars such as Robbie Williams, Jim Davidson and Peter Kay.

Ken, 42, says: "I saw stage hypnotist Robert Halpern at the Opera House in my home town of Scarborough when I was nine.

"I was fascinated and took it seriously.

"I studied hypnotherapy for four years and all my shows abide by the rules and regulations laid down in the 1952 Home Office Hypnosis Act yes, it truly exists."

He holds the record for the longest running hypnotist show 18 years at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

- Ken Webster
Ashcroft Theatre, Fairfield Halls
Tomorrow (Thursday), 7.45pm
£16.50, £17.50 020 8688 9291
www.fairfield.co.uk