Russell Grant showed on Strictly Come Dancing that he knows how to play to a crowd. The actor turned astrologer turned dance sensation spoke to Chris Price about how a few celebrity pals got him to come to Kent in Grease the Musical.

Waiting for a train to London, Russell Grant has finally got a few moments spare to talk about his eight-week stint in Grease. The astrologer and actor has had a flurry of roles come his way since his star-turn on Strictly Come Dancing last year, including a run as the Wizard of Oz in the London Palladium, taking over from Michael Crawford.

He is also keeping stay-at-home mums fit at the moment with his Zalza dance classes on ITV’s This Morning – with his Strictly partner Flavia Cacace. However, starring as the Teen Angel in Grease is taking most of Russell’s focus at the moment and the 61-year-old can’t wait for the musical to get to Kent.

“I chose Dartford because my friend Craig Revel Horwood had such a wonderful time at Christmas,” said Russell, 61. “I rang him up and said ‘you’ve played the Orchard at Dartford haven’t you Craig?’ and he said ‘yes, it is fabulous darling, you must play it. It is fabulous, you’ll love it and they’ll love you,’ so I rang up my agent and said here’s my list of the ones I want to do and it included Dartford.

“I have never been to Dartford but if Craig says it is good, it’s good.”

Admitting to never having been a fan of Grease before – he said he is more of a Rodgers and Hammerstein type of guy – at first, Russell was sceptical about the role.

As he explains, he talks in long, tangential sentences and has no shame in dropping in as many names as possible. He also has a habit of testing his interviewer’s knowledge, to make sure they have done their research.

“When I was first asked I was not so sure and I rang up my friend Arlene Phillips who had recently choreographed me – you know Arlene Phillips, of course? Legend in her own lifetime.

“She had choreographed me in the Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium with Andrew Lloyd Webber so she took me for breakfast in London and I said ‘what do you think because I have been offered four or five roles you see?’ She just said: ‘Oh you’ve got to do it but what I’m going to suggest is I think we should build in a dance number’ – because obviously I did Strictly and most people come to see me dance more than anything else.”

The idea went down a storm. After his first week in the show, the producers doubled the length of his routine because the audience loved it so much.

“It brought cheers from the crowd,” said Russell. “It’s about giving them what they want. I owe a lot to Strictly, to the Beeb, to Flavia, of course and to Arlene, who has been my champion.”

Keen to point out most of his younger fans only know him for dancing rather than astrology, he prefers to see himself as an actor, however, which is how his career began.

He is happy to talk at length about roles in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I, Alan Ayckbourn’s Soap and Ivor Novello’s King’s Rhapsody.

Yet when the conversation turns to his astrology work – he famously gained the patronage of the Queen Mother and his website gets 500 million hits a week worldwide – Russell’s long and meandering answers become much shorter and to the point.

“Let’s just put it like this,” he said. “It was a hobby that I enjoyed because I saw the psychological side of it. How it can help you to be yourself more and to bring out your gifts and talents. Astrology is not fortune telling. Astrology is about your self-potential. So, for instance, I did a number of courses in psychology. So it is about you realising your full potential and being happier as a result. And here is my train love. I am going to have to say goodbye.”

It is as if it was written in the stars.

Russell Grant stars as Teen Angel in Grease at Dartford’s Orchard Theatre from Monday, August 27, to Saturday, September 1. Tickets £25.50 to £35.50. Box office 01322 220000.