Happy Mondays star Bez shakes BBC Breakfast presenters with maracas joke

Happy Mondays star Bez made the presenters of BBC Breakfast blush after making a joke about keeping his maracas in his trousers.

The dancer, famed for his onstage antics as part of the “Madchester”-era band, appeared on the morning show to discuss his new book with hosts Sally Nugent and Ben Thompson.

The 58-year-old, whose real name is Mark Berry, made a name for himself in the 1980s with his wild dance moves and ever-present pair of maracas.

Welcoming Bez to the show, Nugent asked: “Where are your maracas? You haven’t brought them with you.”

Bez replied before laughing: “I have – but I keep them in my trousers,” prompting Nugent to blush and reply: “I asked for that one, didn’t I?”

Thompson found the exchange equally amusing, adding: “It started well…”

Bez and his bandmate Shaun Ryder became unlikely reality TV stars following the band’s reunion in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Bez won Celebrity Big Brother in 2005, appeared in Dancing On Ice earlier this year and also stood unsuccessfully as a candidate in the 2015 general election.

Ryder, meanwhile, appeared on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2010 and finished runner-up before starring in other TV shows.

Happy Mondays were one of the leading bands in the Madchester scene of the late 80s and early 90s, along with groups including The Stone Roses and Inspiral Carpets.

Their bass-player Paul Ryder, brother of Shaun, died in July aged 58.