If you can't do the slime... stay out of the pit!

The youngsters - all aged between four and 15 - queued up in pouring rain outside the Winter Gardens on Saturday morning, ready for a live recording of the Nickelodeon concert, to be screened on Friday.

Singers including Aston Merrygold, Alesha Dixon, Conor Maynard and The Tide performed, with dancing from Diversity inside the Empress Ballroom.

At random intervals in the concert, fountains of green slime rained down over the children, who were encouraged to do a ‘slimedance’.

Aurora Jeffels, 10, travelled with her family from Middlesbrough to be in the ‘slimepit’ at the front of the stage.

She said: “The slime was wet and cold, like water. It was fun but scary too, because you didn’t know when it was coming.”

Friend Amber Marshall, also 10, said: “The concert was brilliant, but the slime was icky.”

Seven-year-old Jack Hudson from Blackpool said the slime was “cold and watery”, and although he wasn’t too impressed with wet clothes, said he was enjoying the music.

Lexi Beastall travelled with her mum Anita to the concert from Bolton.

Anita said: “It was fantastic, we were really impressed.

“All the children have had a ball and although Lexi moved out of the slime pit because it was too noisy, she was still able to enjoy a good dance 
after being allowed into the gallery area.”

The event also featured a range of VIPs, including Olympic silver medallist trampolinist Bryony Page, who was with a group of friends from Sheffield University.

Although aged between 19 and 26, the girls had hoped to get into the slimepit.

Bryony said: “It’s great fun for the children, and we would love to get in ourselves - we’ve all come dressed ready to be slimed.”