REGULARS at a small Stourbridge comedy club were overjoyed when top TV stand-up Joe Lycett appeared on stage as a surprise special guest at the weekend.

The crowd went wild on Saturday night at Fitz of Laughter Comedy Club, at Katie Fitzgerald’s in Wollaston, as resident MC Wayne Beese unexpectedly announced the Brummie TV star onto the stage.

Lycett was trying out some new material in front of the sell-out crowd as he prepares to go on a huge national tour starting next week.

Beese, who runs Funny Beeseness, said: “We wanted to surprise our regulars and only listed that we had a special guest appearing.

“It ended up becoming something like a small military operation, waiting for everyone to be inside and watching the opening act before my wife went out and fetched Joe to smuggle him safely into the green room.

“Joe agreed to do it at the end of last year, and we’ve been crossing everything since then that a TV commitment did not crop up which would have scuppered us.

“Thankfully it didn’t, and the reception he got from the crowd when we brought him on stage was a pure goosebumps moment. He’s a lovely guy and we’re really grateful he came.

“It’s a massive thing for our small club to get someone as big as Joe on, and it’s a reflection of the increasingly high regard its being held in by acts all over the country.

“We’re building a nice little reputation and people want to come and perform here. I don’t think he will be the last big name we see at Fitz of Laughter. The audiences are loving it too – if you haven’t tried us yet come on down, you won’t be disappointed.”

Lycett added to a jam-packed bill on Saturday which also featured Live At The Apollo and Eastenders star Terry Alderton, Mark Nelson and Dan Nightingale.

The 100-seater club runs fortnightly, with the next show on Saturday March 12 featuring legendary veteran stand-up Mick Miller.

The 8.30pm show is already sold out, but there are still tickets left for the 5pm show.