A popstar is to take a leading role in an Ipswich pantomime.

Former Atomic Kitten singer Natasha Hamilton will bring a touch of celebrity to this year’s Ipswich Regent Theatre performance as she plays the Wicked Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves from December 14 and January 2.

As a member of pop group, she helped the girl band to sell more than 20million records and celebrated a clutch of number one singles, including Whole Again and The Tide is High.

However, she has performed at numerous royal engagements - so organisers believe they will have provided her with at least a little experience of how to play her latest role.

Ms Hamilton’s career spans 20 years and she is also a successful television personality, businesswoman and proud mum of four.

In the theatre, she took a lead role in the highly acclaimed West End Show Blood Brothers. Her performance was met with standing ovations and rave reviews.

She was later cast in the mesmerising role of Maureen in the Tony Award-winning musical Rent.

She admits to having a competitive nature, winning numerous celebrity challenges on TV while raising substantial sums for her favourite charities.

In 2015, she also appeared in Celebrity Big Brother.

Panto is also not really new to her. She has played alongside Henry Winkler - also known as The Fonz - in Peter Pan at the Liverpool Empire and was cast in Snow White in Southport Theatre.

Also starring in the show is Matt Pagan, member of the Britain’s Got Talent-winning act Collabro.

He will be playing the Prince in Enchanted Entertainment’s show.

Organisers promise “the region’s biggest Christmas show”, as well as: “A pantomime full of excitement, including a Good Fairy, a Magic Mirror and the craziest Seven Dwarfs you’ve ever seen.”

A spokesman for Ipswich Regent Theatre said more cast announcements for Snow White will be made next month.

Tickets are already on sale and are available at https://apps.ipswich.gov.uk/en-GB/shows/snow%20white/events