Meet Paddy Ball Guest: Stavros Flatley!

We can finally reveal it, the St. Patrick's Charity Ball mystery guest and leader of the St. Patrick's Day Parade is none other than Britain’s Got Talent legend Stavros Flatley and his dancing counterpart, Flatley Jr. We caught up with them at the venue for the ball, the Pudong Shangri-La Hotel.

The pair had just stepped off the plane and were seriously jet-lagged. In any other circumstance this would pose potential problems for an interview but, as you might imagine from a man who performs half naked on TV waving his belly at grandparents, not with Stavros!

Asked to explain the duo’s rapid rise to fame he grabbed his sizable stomach and gave all credit to “the mighty beast” - we clearly aren't dealing with a diva here then! Flatley Jr was equally modest about the experience; it was obvious the pair having such a close relationship greatly benefited the youngster.

When asked about his upcoming performance in Shanghai, he stated “nerves were still an issue,” but, consummate professional that he is, it was “simply another performance.” It is the “addiction to the roaring crowd” that continually motivated a return to the stage.

Concluding our meeting, it was overtly clear Stavros new what his rise to fame entailed. Making money, giving his son an awesome experience and, above all, having a good craic until the 15 minutes is up. And tomorrow, he'll be doing it right here in Shanghai. Join him!

The 4th annual St. Patrick's Day Parade takes place tomorrow Sat the 13th of March, starting in Fuxing Park at 10.30am before heading along Yandang Lu, while the St. Patrick's Charity Ball takes place in the Pudong Shangri-La Hotel in the evening. For more details on these events and everything Ireland Week has to offer visit www.lecheileshanghai.com