STEVEN Houghton used to put out fires in his role as a firefighter in TV's London's Burning but his latest role he is more likely to start a few flames of desire burning in female hearts.

Steven has been at the Brylcream to give himself a sexy quiff, and slipped into tight trousers and leather jacket to play heart-throb Danny Zuko in the musical Grease.

Steven laughs: "It is a great part. It is not just playing a leading man. Danny is really cool and the centre of attention from all the girls.

"It is a nice musical to tour around the country because if I have had a hard day it picks me up at night."

The actor, from Sheffield, was thrust into fame when he played the high-profile character Greg Blake in London's Burning.

"It was a weird experience. It was very bizarre. One day you are walking down the street and no-one knows you and the next day people start recognising you. It was really weird, I ended up opening night clubs.

"The tabloids are after you, but I only got doorstopped twice which was a bit scary."

While he was in the series he also recorded the single Wind Beneath My Wings which went straight to the top of the charts and sold more than 500,000 copies. Steven found himself performing on Top of the Pops. He also recorded his debut album, Steven Houghton, which achieved Gold status.

"It was all part of being in London's Burning," he says. It wasn't his ambition to make a pop record.

"I love singing live in musicals, but pop music is so full of people who can't sing. It is not to do with singing. It is to do with imagination."

Steven's success as an actor continued after London's Burning, as he landed the lead role of Ed in Bugs for the BBC.

But as successful as he has been, Steven is still not embarrassed by his beginnings in the industry, as a model: "I did modelling for a while to make ends meet. I did a couple of commercials St Ivel Gold margarine, TSB and Bird's Eye.

"I am not embarrassed by it. You have to make a living when you are starting out and I found it quite interesting."

He then went on to play in top West End musicals The Hot Mikado, Cats, Great Expectations, Martin Guerre and Spend, Spend, Spend for which he was nominated for an Olivier award.

The son of an engineer always had a passion to be on the stage.

"I was a natural performer. I was an extrovert. I would get up and sing in front of the class."

Steven was also good at athletics and gym so his gym teacher told him to join a dance class for movement. He went along and, in true Billy Elliot fashion, fell in love with dance.

"I got the bug. And as soon as I got the bug I never wanted to do anything else. I was so hungry for it."

Steven stayed at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance for three years.

"Then the day I left the school I started in a brand new West End musical, Children of Eden. I was lucky because they gave one new member of a West End musical an equity card and they gave it to me." He has hardly been out of work since.

The star shares his Dockland home with girlfriend Samantha, an ex-dancer and keep fit instructor, and their two children Daniel, who is four years old, and Ella May, eight months.

"I love being a dad. I got training with my first one and now with my second one I can't put her down."

And he likes to get involved with every aspect of being a dad including changing nappies and bathing.

"It's the only way to be.

"I took Daniel to school this morning and saw him in his school uniform and it is just those moments that I love. I am really proud of him. To other people it would be boring but to me those moments are magical."

Grease is on at Wycombe Swan from January 29 to February 3, telephone the box office (01494) 512000