HIS show might be out of this world but TV psychic Tony Stockwell is as down-to-earth as the next man.

Despite his career in all things paranormal, Tony, is as happy to chat away about everyday matters as he is to speak about his apparent gift of speaking to the dead.

He has ‘normal’ friends and likes doing ‘normal’ things. He just happens to have a rather unusual job.

“Most of my mates don’t get it,” reveals the Living TV star, who has four series under his belt. “We just don’t speak about my work. We’ll chat about Corrie instead, or something like that.

“There is one friend who is always wanting to know about a love life issue or whether a relationship will work. But I work best with communicating with the dead.”

And it’s in this vein that he has teamed up with American medium James Van Praagh for their-first ever seven-date UK tour to provide a global mediumship extravaganza.

On the back of Tony’s Alan Sugar-style search for a psychic apprentice, The Academy — the latest in Tony’s television catalogue — the medium will be bringing his show to Blackpool’s North Pier Theatre to try to convert Lancashire into a county of believers.

“Having a psychic ability is like singing,” said Tony, who says he has had his ability since he was a child. “Not everyone can do it and some are better than others.”

One psychic who Tony admires is his co-star on the tour, James Van Praagh. In fact he’s a bit of an idol of his “I admire him so much. I got in contact once because I love his work, and now he’s doing a tour with me! He’s a god in the psychic world.

“We’d only spoken on the phone and never met in person so the tour is a real improvisation set.”

Tony specialises in conveying messages from those who have ‘passed on to the other side’ but how does it work?

“I’m going to sound like a freak now,” says Tony, who has been a professional medium since he was 19. “Normally what happens is I’ll feel a pressure right down my left hand side of a spirit that has passed over. I will describe them to the audience and they will tell me who their message is for.

“I don’t get emotional and that’s not because I’m heartless, I just have to stay professional. But if I’m watching another psychic I’m a mess — tissues all over the place. And if people come up to me after shows and tell me what their reading meant to them, I get a bit emotional then.”

And it’s not just for entertainment, Tony has used his skills to assist the police with missing person cases, including the murder of Sally Ann Bowman.

“I try to contact them to see if they are missing or passed on. And we can ask them or another who has passed on where they died and what happened.

“There is no shadow of a doubt there is evidence of life on the other side. My tour is about making people see that.”

l Across and Beyond — North Pier Theatre, Blackpool, October 11. Tickets on 01253 623304.