I was the head Funny Girl in Blackpool for 30 years but now I've said goodbye

Zoe had been at the helm of Funny Girls since 1994 and was the last remaining original from the days when it was based on Queen Street, years before the move to the iconic former Odeon Cinema building on Dickson Road.

As the host and DJ, Zoe would welcome customers in flamboyant and witty style and played a key role in maintaining it as one of the top attractions of its kind in the world, for more than 30 years.

But after a show in January this year the performer, known as Zoe Thornton-Coats and also as Adrian Thornton, walked away without fanfare and with little time to say goodbye to fans.

Funny Girls posted a glowing tribute on its own Facebook site, saying it was the end of an era and that Zoe would be missed.

Adrian is now to be found relaxing in sunny Gran Canaria and is taking a months-long sabbatical from performing starting with a holiday in the sun.

Passers by would never imagine that the bearded, shaven-headed man in dark glasses is a legendary drag queen at one of Britain’s best known venues.

Adrian, 63, says: “It makes a nice change to be able to grow back my beard and chest hair.

“It’s good to be able to get away from Blackpool, to spend time with my husband Pete and just relax.

“I won’t go into details about why I left Funny Girls but there were some issues and I decided it was time to go.

“I’ve had some fabulous times there and great memories but towards the end it was getting to the point where I just wasn’t enjoying going into work as much as I used to and I always told myself that if that happened, it would be time to walk away.

“I’m a creature of habit and I tend to stay put - I was at Funny Girls for 30 years, I’ve been with Pete for 30 years and I live in the same house in Blackpool that I’ve lived in for years - I moved there with my parents when I was young.

“Sometime it’s just time to move on, though.”

Adrian first got into performing while working among the bar staff at the old Flamingos Bar for Basil Newby, the founder of Funny girls.

Adrian says: “We used to put on staff cabarets, our own drag shows, and I got a taste for it. I decided to give it go on, got myself an agent and started performing on the gay club circuit, mainly in Yorkshire, where my agent was from.

“I died a death a few times but I pulled my socks up and started to develop my act.

“So Zoe was around 10 years before Funny Girls.”

Adrian ended up joining Basil at his new venture Funny Girls - a very different place from the Art Deco venue which has been associated with the brand since 2002.

Adrian recalls: “It was a tiny place, originally, but I loved it because you were so close to the audience, you could look at them and enjoy the banter. When Zo spoke, they all listened!!

Despite the majesty of the former Odeon venue, Adrian recalls: “When we first moved in it was awful for me, to be honest.

“i was miles away from the audience and you didn’t have that close-up relationship with the audience. I really missed that.

”But over the years I did adapt things to try and overcome it.”

Some of his best memories include the launch night at the former Odeon, when megastar Joan Collins attended, and two Royal Variety performances.

Since leaving Funny Girls, Adrian says he has been inundated with warm messages from fans and regular customers.

He said: “It’s been incredible. People have told me that I've inspired them to perform in drag, others have said I helped them deal with struggles over their sexuality, others have told me how much they’ll miss me.It’s been really humbling.”

So what’s next for DJ Zoe?

Adrian said: “DJ Zoe will definitely be back! I’ve already been approached to do various things in Blackpool and across the UK - so watch this space!”