COCKNEY comic Jim Davidson has met his match.

The cheeky funnyman came face-to-face with a real EastEnder as he showed off the costumes for his Southampton pantomime spectacular this Christmas.

Albert Square favourite Lucy Benjamin will co-star in the £1m production Aladdin at The Mayflower this Christmas.

Davidson - who was the star of The Mayflower's 2001 pantomime Dick Whittington - has written the show which will feature a multicultural cast, music by 70s supergroup ELO and a troupe of Japanese Kodo drummers.

Each spectacular performance will be loaded with special effects, including a short hologram sequence which is costing more than £150,000 to stage. A Touch of Frost's John Lyons and Mr Blobby are also among the cast.

Aladdin runs at The Mayflower from December 21 to February 1.