AT 5ft 10 and with legs to die for, Melanie Stace has never had any problems getting noticed.

In fact, it was her propensity to attract too much attention that hampered her early career.

The former Generation Game presenter said: "I started at the bottom of the ladder in shows and musicals, but I was always too tall to work.

"I hadn't the experience to play the lead roles and they always wanted to shove me in the chorus because I was so tall."

However, size does matter and it was her lengthy limbs that would see Melanie, 34, awarded the accolade "best legs in television" and attract a host of male fans.

Melanie was spotted by BBC producers in the show Hot Shoe Shuffle, for which she won an Olivier award. From there she was plucked to host the Generation Game, alongside Jim Davidson, and became one of the best-known faces on Saturday night television.

Melanie said: "I couldn't believe it. I was 26 years old and I'd never been on TV before.

"Despite all my work in the West End, nationally no-one knew who I was. My agent told me I should do some TV and that would make me a household name.

"I used to watch Anthea Redfern doing The Generation Game. I never dreamed I would end up doing the same job."

Melanie learned a lot on the programme, particularly from her experienced co-presenter.

She said: "Jim Davidson was very funny to work with. You never knew what he was going to say next."

And after five years of fronting the show with the famous conveyor belt amid cries of "toaster" "weekend in Paris" and of course "cuddly toy", Melanie had done enough to become the star name in a host of stage shows.

One of her most memorable post-Generation Game performances came in Ready, Steady Dance, alongside the vertically-challenged Wayne Sleep -- who recently appeared in I'm a Celebrity -- Get Me Out of Here!

Melanie said: "It was lovely working with Wayne because he had also had issues with his height and he turned it into a kind of gimmick and overcame it.

"He was never going to dance the romantic roles, but he's amazingly talented and a great tapper.

"We were able to dance together, but we had to turn it into a kind of comedy thing because of our different heights."

Melanie thinks her friend will do very well as a result of I'm a Celebrity.

"Like Tony Blackburn, he's a really nice guy -- a real gentleman. Wayne always looks after his lady."

Meanwhile, Lancashire audiences will be able to catch Melanie at King George's Hall, Blackburn, on May 27 when she stars in Hollywood and Broadway -- an all-singing, all-dancing show that recalls the musical highlights of film and theatre.

Melanie said: "We do big segments from the best Broadway shows and Hollywood films.

"There's something for everyone. It's not just old-fashioned stuff -- we travel right through the ages of the musical and even have extracts from the films of Chicago and Moulin Rouge.

"My favourite bits are the songs from Cabaret, Guys and Dolls and Singing in the Rain. We do the bits everyone knows and pay homage to all these great shows.

"There are big tap routines, a big band and a wonderful company of dancers and singers. It's well worth coming to see."

Tickets for Hollywood and Broadway at Manchester Opera House on Saturday, June 7 are are available from the box office on 0870 401 9000.