FOR years we’ve known about the boisterous Johnny Vegas, his Guinness swilling binges and madcap antics.

But it is only since the release of his autobiography that the real man behind the character, Michael Pennington, has stepped out of the shadows.

And at St Helens Town Hall on Monday night that is what happened, as an audience with Johnny was given an intimate insight into his childhood.

Prompted by questions from the esteemed children’s author Frank Cottrell Boyce, who attended the West Park secondary school where Vegas was also later a pupil, this was a charming night.

It was two of the town’s finest exports in a conversation with a flavour that was distinctly ‘Sintellins’ – and that was before guests even had the chance to sample the Pimmies pies and George Wright-brewed Vegas ale.

Frank, who grew up in Rainhill and was scriptwriter for the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony, jokingly introduced Johnny Vegas as, “a failed priest, a failed potter who used to be a comedian and is now a great writer”.

What followed though was a discussion about growing up.

The layers were peeled back one by one as first we learned about Michael’s happiness growing up in Thatto Heath before he was seen as the Thatto Heath parish’s “great white hope” and sent to a seminary in Upholland to train for the priesthood.

But there, he told the audience, he became deeply unhappy and isolated, with his “expectations of being able to explore his faith” being met with a regime that wanted to “stop me asking questions”.

Writing the book, he added, had been the first time in his life that he had revisited memories of Upholland.

He was desperately homesick there and believes that period of his life ultimately led to the birth of the alter ego that would become Johnny Vegas.

His time as a trainee priest over, he described how his dad enrolled him at school at West Park and it was there where he was inspired by “wonderful” teacher, Rowena Rowlands.

“Rowena spotted something in me and would not let me give up. My love of English language and literature I owe to her,” he told the audience.

But he lost his way at school and added felt guilty that his wayward behaviour had let down the one person who had recognised a spark in him.

Michael added: “There is the saying that you never forget a good teacher. But you never forgive yourself for turning your back on a good one.”

During the talk there were plenty of old West Parkers in the audience – but no one could be quite sure whether Rowena was in the audience.

Becoming Johnny Vegas is available to buy from Wardleworths on Westfield Street, St Helens.