TV legend Les Dennis joins cast of Waitress, with Carrie Hope Fletcher, which heads to Blackpool this year

Producers Barry & Fran Weissler and David Ian for Crossroads Live say they are delighted to announce further casting for the UK and Ireland tour of the smash hit romantic musical comedy Waitress, with stage and screen stars Les Dennis as Joe!

The iconic TV presenter, actr anc comic joins the previously announced multi award-winning West End star Carrie Hope Fletcher as Jenna, heading to Winter Gardens Blackpool from13th – 18th July 2026!

Who are Les Dennis and Carrie Hope Fletcher?

Les Dennis is one of the UK’s best-known entertainers with a career in showbusiness spanning over 50 years. His West End credits include Inside Number 9: Stage Fright at the Wyndham’s Theatre, Grandad Trotter in Only Fools and Horses The Musical at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, Wilbur in Hairspray opposite Michael Ball at the London Coliseum, King Arthur in Spamalot, Amos Hart in Chicago and Bill in Me and My Girl. His touring theatre credits include 42nd Street, Art, Legally Blonde, High School Musical 2 and Uncle Fester in the musical comedy The Addams Family. His many TV credits include Michael Rodwell in Coronation Street and a fictional version of himself in Extras.

Carrie Hope Fletcher is an actress, author and vlogger. Her many theatre credits include Jovie in Elf the Musical at the Aldwych Theatre, the title role in the UK and Ireland tour of Calamity Jane, Cinderella in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, Veronica Sawyer in Heathers at the Theatre Royal Haymarket and Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family UK and Ireland tour, all of which won her a Best Actress in a Musical award at the WhatsOnStage Awards. Further credits include Once – In Concert at the London Palladium, Treason – The Musical Concert at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Elizabeth in The Crown Jewels at the Garrick Theatre and on tour, Grusha in The Caucasian Chalk Circle at the Rose Theatre, Fantine in Les Misérables: The Concert at the Gielgud Theatre, Eponine in Les Misérables at the Queen’s Theatre, winning a WhatOnStage award for Best Takeover in a Role, and Beth in Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds arena tour.

Have the stars said anything about performing in Blackpool?

Les and Carrie have not said anything particularly about Blackpool following their casting in Waitress, but both have performed in the town before.

72-year-old Les performed in Ghost the Musical at the Blackpool Winter Garden’s Opera House in December 2024.

Speaking to us before his arrival in Blackpool, Les said: “I’m looking forward to it, absolutely, because I know Blackpool so well. I used to go as a kid and see all the summer shows, and want to be there. I actually did my first summer season with the Black Abbots in 1979 on the North Pier, and then, of course, I did it with Dustin in ‘85 so I've got fond memories. I want to visit the Comedy Carpet again and find myself and find Dustin!”

We were unfortunately unable to catch Carrie, 33, when she was in Blackpool, playing the lead in Calamity Jane last June. We were however sent a syndicated interview all about that show which you can read here.

Who else is in the cast?

Further casting to be announced in due course.

What is Waitress about?

WAITRESS is based on the 2007 movie written by Adrienne Shelly.

It tells the story of Jenna, an expert pie maker in a small town, who dreams of a way out of her loveless marriage. A baking contest in a nearby county and the town’s new doctor may offer her a chance at a new life, while her fellow waitresses offer their own recipes to happiness. But Jenna must find the courage and strength within herself to rebuild her life. This beautiful musical celebrates friendship, motherhood, and the magic of a well-made pie.

Music and lyrics are written by GRAMMY award-winning, singer-songwriter sensation Sara Bareilles. With a book by Jessie Nelson, direction by Tony-award winner Diane Paulus and choreography by Lorin Latarro, Waitress has garnered multiple awards and nominations in both America and the UK, receiving acclaim from both audiences and critics alike.

Celebrating 10 years of production, WAITRESS opened on Broadway on 24th April 2016 at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, where it ran until 5th January 2020. Waitress celebrated its official opening night at the Adelphi Theatre in London’s West End on 7th March 2019. The show has gone on to global success with further productions in North America, Japan, Holland, a French language production in Canada, a Spanish language production in Mexico, and coming this spring of 2026 an Australian production in Melbourne and Sydney.