HE wowed millions of viewers with his spectacular skating performance.

And it did not take him long to cut the ice with The Concorde audience on the first leg of his first major UK tour showcasing his latest album, Dare to Dream.

He is only 26 but the Dancing on Ice winner has already built up an impressive CV as a song and dance man.

His list of West End stage credits has included Grease, Dirty Dancing and Legally Blonde, and in May he hits the big stage again with Judy – The Judy Garland Songbook tour.

But for his 20-date tour criss-crossing the country he has chosen intimate venues like The Concorde because he wanted to be close to his fans. 

Judging by the reaction from the full house at the Stoneham Lane club it certainly seems to work.

It is easy to see why the Liverpudlian crooner says that he is completely at home singing live on stage.

The former Brookside actor was appearing at The Concorde on the eve of a Southampton book signing. 

His tell-all autobiography, which has just hit the bookshelves, traces his path from his childhood living in a two-up, two-down in Knotty Ash through to a star-studded showbiz career travelling the world.

It documents the highs and lows of his career. It is one that is now very much on the up as he proved by delivering a polished performance accompanied by his talented three piece band.

He switched effortlessly from love ballads like You Are So Beautiful to swing numbers from the Frank Sinatra song book – That’s Life and Fly Me To The Moon.

As well as Mack The Knife and a Dean Martin favourite, Ain’t That A Kick In The Head?, he threw into this lively 70-minute long mix some original tracks from an album which he has been working on for the last ten months.

The former X Factor star really shines when he is performing covers to swing numbers, and That’s Life lit the blue touch paper, with his fans leaping out of their seats. 

He oozes charm, and a touching moment came when he stepped off stage to join in an impromptu dance routine with two members of the audience.

Ray signed off with his latest single and after a standing ovation returned for an encore and another blast of That’s Life, proving once again that swing is what he does best. 

Ray is back at the Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke on May 21.

DUNCAN EATON