AFTER more than 40 years in the business, crude comic Roy Chubby Brown can still pack them in.

York’s Grand Opera House was virtually full on Thursday night when the North Yorkshire-based entertainer rolled into town on the latest leg of his UK tour.

Having last seen him in 1996 at York Barbican Centre I knew what to expect – that and sneaking a look at my dad’s videos at Christmas when I was growing up.

I went to Thursday’s show with an open mind and the first 15 minutes didn’t disappoint. I laughed non stop, as did everyone else.

I wondered whether he would change his material somewhat in this very PC-world we now live in. Not a chance.

He still believes women have the luxury of staying at home (I wish), baking cakes and being told to go upstairs to bed.

His act is crude, sexist and at times racist, but he also touched on topics such as the recession, being drunk, his mum and dad and the police.

Posh Spice, Jordan, George Michael and Dolly Parton were some of his celebrity targets, but he’s really not as offensive as some of the new comics on the block, such as Frankie Boyle I promised myself I wouldn’t heckle Chubby, but did find myself biting my fist on a number of occasions.

If I had been allowed a drink in the auditorium I may have done, but the barmaid told us on no account did Chubby want people drinking during his act which is, apparently, very unusual.

Could Chubby be displaying some vulnerability here?

Wearing his trademark patchwork coat and flying helmet, Chubby was on stage for just over a hour. Was he funny? Yes. Very in places, not in others, and loveable in a strange sort of way. His finale, a strip to the Full Monty, was stupidly hilarious.

But someone needs to tell Chubby that there are places called gyms now and these are where some of us women spend our time, not in the kitchen!

After last night’s show I’ll never eat a cheese toastie again without smiling. Thanks Chubby, as a vegetarian that was one of my few pleasures in life.

If you want to know what that means, go and see him.

- Jayne Ritchie