THE first celebrity judge has been confirmed for the finals of Stoke's Top Talent.

Bolton-born comedian Paddy McGuinness, perhaps best-known for his role as Paddy the Doorman in the hit show, Phoenix Nights and Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere, will be the guest judge on the opening night of the heats in September.

Compere Jonathan Wilkes said he was delighted his friend was supporting the show.

He said: "I'm thrilled to have Paddy onboard – it's a real coup for us. It's another feather in the cap of Top Talent and underlines the quality of the competition.

"I'm hoping to announce the names of our other guest judges very soon."

Chris McGuigan, head of marketing and sales for The Regent Theatre, said: "Paddy will be a real high calibre judge – he obviously knows how to weigh up the entertainment value of a performance.

"He's a quality performer who has sold out the Victoria Hall three times and I'm sure he'll go down well."

Paddy joins panto producer Kevin Wood, choreographer Nikki Wheeler, entertainer Pete Conway and Sentinel Assistant Editor Martin Tideswell. Previous judges have included TV presenter and comedian Nick Hancock and Waterworld entrepreneur Mo Chaudry.

More than 2,000 tickets have already been sold for the Top Talent shows – 500 of them for the grand final on September 12.

The live heats, when 10 acts will perform each night, will take place from Monday, September 7, until Friday, September 11.

There will be 12 finalists, including one voted through by Sentinel readers in an internet poll, and the other chosen by audience votes during the heats.

The winner or winners of Stoke's Top Talent 2009 will receive a three-month professional contract to appear alongside Jonny Wilkes in this year's Regent pantomime, Dick Whittington.

The winning act will also receive £1,000 from show sponsor The Sentinel and appear as a guest performer at this year's Our Heroes celebrity awards night at the Best Western Stoke-on-Trent Moathouse Hotel, Festival Park, on September 22.

Last year's competition saw debt collector and part-time boxer Dan Hewitt, of Fenton, scoop the top prize and earn a three-month contract to star in Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs. Dan, aged 22, will now start theatre school in September.

Tickets for Stoke's Top Talent, priced at £5 for heats and £10 for the final, are available from the box office on 0870 060 6649.