AS a child, comedian Joe Pasquale choked on a whelk on a family trip to Southend.

But, hopefully, he’ll manage to stay upright and avoid the Heimlich manoeuvre when he comes to the Cliffs Pavilion later this month.

The much-loved Grays funnyman will return to his home county with his new show, Extra Sensory Pasquale, on November 21.

“I’m an Essex boy anyway,” he enthuses. “Going to Southend is like going home .

“My parents used to take us there in the Sixties. We didn’t have any money so Southend was our holiday on the weekends.

“I choked on a whelk when I was little. My mum loved whelks and I wanted one too, but it was too big for me, and I was hung upside down and slapped on the back.

“When I was 17 I had a moped and I used to drive up and down the seafront – that was me. I was one of those lads.”

Pasquale has been touring his new show since the beginning of August, and he’s ditched the traditional support act to fill the whole two hours himself.

He explains: “I’d always spend the first half of the show sitting in the dressing room reading the newspaper and listening to the support, and then I thought, ‘Why am I doing this?’ “I got rid of the support act to do the whole show, so it’s just two hours of me being as ridiculous as I possibly can.

“It’s a lot better. I get a lot more out of it, I’ve been on the road since the beginning of August and I enjoy it a lot more.”

He describes his show as “the most ridiculous stuff”, but says you’ll be safe bringing your nan or kids as he’s not out to offend in the way of some other comedians.

He says: “There’s a lot of audience participation, and I do a bit of painting, a bit of singing and a bit of mind- reading!”

He’s no stranger to the Westcliff venue, he’s trodden the boards on many occasions, notably as Buttons in the Christmas pantomime Cinderella in 2007.

Pasquale is famed for his high energy and even when he’s on the road he likes to keep himself busy.

He’s currently using the long hours spent travelling between gigs to study for a BSc in geosciences.

He says: “Over the years you have so much time on your hands – when you’re travelling during tours in the car, going to a gig or just listening to the radio, so it’s a great way to spend your time learning something.

“I’ve always had an interest in the earth. It’s hard work, but it’s good.”

When he’s not studying, Pasquale, who’s well known for his charity fundraising, is getting fit next year’s London Marathon. He will raise money for Diabetes UK as his daughter, Tina, who’s 15, suffers from the condition.

He says: “She was diagnosed when she was eleven. She had a great diet, sometimes it just happens. Having four injections a day is not nice for anyone, but particularly seeing a kid having to inject is horrible.

“They’re trying to raise awareness of the condition and to do that they have to do research. They say every three minutes someone goes diabetic.”

Joe Pasquale Cliffs Pavilion, Station Road, Westcliff.

£18.50 7.30pm 01702 351135