Debra is a dead ringer for comedy

AS A 13-year-old, Debra Stephenson wowed Hull audiences with her uncanny knack of mimicking celebrities.

With her mum Deborah making the costumes and her dad Ricky managing and helping write her scripts, it proved a successful and popular team.

But at the end of her teenage years, Debra turned to acting and has since carved out a successful career with roles in Bad Girls and Coronation Street, as well releasing a CD and fitness DVD.

However, Debra, 37, will return to her roots, by starring alongside Jon Culshaw for BBC One's The Impression Show With Culshaw And Stephenson, which starts on Saturday at 9.45pm.

The Hull-born star said: "I started impressions as a little girl in Hull. I was always quite shy at school, but outside I was an impressionist.

"I got into it through my dad. He would write and coach me, while my mum would make costumes.

"Although it would be hard travelling all over to perform, it was fun.

"It got to the stage though where there wasn't much happening for impressionists, so I decided to go to drama school and from there got the roles on Coronation Street and Bad Girls.

"Going back to impressions, it feels like I've gone the full circle. Travelling all over the country when I was younger doing impressions feels really worthwhile."

Debra's involvement in the latest show came about when she met Jon Culshaw at Comic Relief Does Fame Academy in 2005.

Backstage they did impressions together and discussed working together in the future.

Although Debra thought nothing of it, she received a call from his management when she finished on Coronation Street about two years ago.

Unlike her teenage years, when one of Debra's most popular impressions was former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, now she takes on the likes of Cheryl Cole, Anne Robinson and even Ant and Dec.

She said: "It was quite daunting working with Jon and whether or not I would meet his expectations. He is the daddy of impressions.

"It has all been good fun, although I've had to put in quite a lot of work.

"I've had to catch up watching TV. I look after my two kids, Zoe, two, Max, six, so all they would recognise is Marge Simpson.

"I think one of the most difficult acts to learn was Davina McCall.

"She doesn't have a particularly strong accent and has a fairly regular presenting voice. She has a vocal quality like mine, so it is more about her mannerisms.

"We're not cruel to anyone, though. I'm looking forward to seeing it on TV."

There will be eight episodes of the 30-minute shows.