I've just finished motoring through John Barrowman's autobiography Anything Goes, which hits bookshops on 24 January (Michael O'Mara books, £18.99). It's a breezy read, full of well-honed theatrical anecdotes and fond childhood reminiscences, and there isn't a huge amount about his time on Doctor Who and Torchwood.
Thanks to Barrowman letting something slip, you probably already knew that Captain Jack is back in Doctor Who season four. However, for those you don't believe anything you hear about Doctor Who until you see it in black and white, it's confirmed here: the timeline at the back of the book includes the line "2008 - Captain Jack in season four of Doctor Who".
For Barrowman fans, here are a few facts I gleaned from my reading:
* He’s got a phobia about having his face or neck touched, which is a bit tricky for make-up artists - they have to distract him with magazines and treats.
* He came out to his family in 1992, and none of them were remotely surprised.
* He’s got an allergy to shellfish. Because of it, he once pooed his pants on stage 20 seconds before the curtain rose...
* His favourite classic Doctor Who story is “Terror of the Autons”.
* He found Christopher Eccleston more "angsty" than David Tennant - no surprise there!
* On the Torchwood set, Burn Gorman is nicknamed “Binny Bots”, and Naoko Mori is “Ping Pong Buckaroo”.
* As a kid, he once accidentally munched on a load of hash brownies, which made watching Scooby Doo a whole lot more interesting...
* He was an extra in The Untouchables. You need to be pretty eagle-eyed to spot him, though.
* He’s never done it with a lady.
