CHRIS Taylor stares at his army medal and smiles because it means more to him than anyone can imagine.

The medal, which he was once forced to sell and has now been returned to him, is not only a symbol that he survived an arduous stint in Northern Ireland.

It’s not only a reminder he survived being abused in the army by a superior officer. (The perpetrator was jailed for three years.)

It’s also a remarkable testimony to what he has gone through to become a performer.

Chris who grew up in Prestwick, has been described as being ‘what you would come out with if you threw Jerry Lewis, Jim Carrey and Lee Evans into a washtub.’

But the 32 year-old entertainer, who’s keeping variety alive with the likes of his upcoming show at the Ayr Gaiety, has had to battle to lift the curtain on his career.

A hopeful actor, who was described as a ‘comedy natural’, Chris took a wrong turning in life as a teenager and ended up caught up in drink and drugs.

On the point of suicide he joined the army. And although he suffered abuse, his two year stint saw him turn his life around.

The support he received from fellow soldiers (some of whom had also been abused) was immeasurable.

On leaving Chris felt he had the strength and nerve to create a career in entertainment.

“When I left the army I went back to college and studied acting,” he explains.

“But because the Ayr Gaiety had closed down there was no local venue to stage plays, to perform in.

“So I decided to put on own of my own plays in a local pub, the Market Inn.

“But I was so skint I sold my army medal on Ebay to pay for the production costs.”

Chris’s voice saddens as he recalls; “I didn’t want to sell it. I felt I’d earned it. And despite the abuse which occurred early on in training, I enjoyed my time in the army.

“You see, the army made something of me. Before going in I was lost.

“And getting this medal for services in Northern Ireland was the proof that I had turned my life around. I didn’t want to let it go.”

The Market Inn shows sold out but Chris didn’t make any money.

Undaunted, he continued to stage productions and build up his reputation as a writer and a comedy performer.

He formed his own theatre company, Hipshot, which trains young people in the community and Chris has sixty members.

Gradually, he became a success. And when the Gaiety Theatre reopened Chris was recruited to become a panto star.

Chris’s reputation grew. Writer Des Dillon became aware of Chris’s talents and hired him to star at the Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow in Billy, Tim and the Wee Glesga Ghost.

But there was something missing; it was his medal.

“I felt really bad going along to the army reunions,” he admits.

“I couldn’t tell the boys in the regiment about having sold the medal. They would have beaten the living daylights out of me.”

However, six years after selling his medal, Santa Claus arrived in the form of Chris’s friend, Gareth Powell.

Unknown to the actor, Gareth, whose kids attend the Hipshot Theatre Company, heard of the medal loss and decided to take action.

Gareth contacted Chris’s ex-partner Susan, with whom Chris has a six-year-old son, and together they traced the Ebay account used to sell the medal.

“They spent months trying to find this bloke in America who had the medal and eventually managed to buy it back.

“Then just before Christmas, I walked into the theatre group and Gareth presented me with it.

“I was blown away. The tears filled up in my eyes. I couldn’t believe I had it back after six years.”

Chris’s voice fills with emotion as he adds; “And I couldn’t believe the lengths Gareth had gone to get it back for me.”

The comedy star adds; “I don’t know what Gareth paid for it, but I heard via his wife it was really expensive.

“I offered to give Gareth the money for it but he wouldn’t listen. He just said ‘You’ve done so much for this family in looking after our kids.’”

Chris says he ‘needed’ to have his medal returned.

“I always wanted to become a performer but at the time I’d lost the plot. I needed focus. I needed discipline, and I needed to feel part of something.

“And that’s what the army gave me. Now, I’ve got my medal back all is right with the world.”

He adds, grinning; “Now I can focus on making people smile.”

• The Chris Taylor Show, the Ayr Gaiety Saturday, 7.30pm.