BOLTON actor Stephen Lewis is going to have to get used to the sound of his own voice, or face up to spending much of his time in solitary confinement.

The 24-year-old confesses to "disappearing upstairs" whenever he makes an appearance on television.

But with a slowly increasing workload, the actor recognises he had better get used to it.

He is next set to appear in the new series of comedy drama Linda Green as a comic barman.

Stephen explained: "I am in one episode which will not appear until closer to Christmas. But I do hate watching myself on television. It is not so much seeing myself, but hearing my voice that does it. While everyone else watches, I disappear upstairs."

Stephen, who uses the stage name Fisher because there was already a Stephen Lewis on Equity's books, attended Rivington and Blackrod School. He said: "I appeared in a school production when I was 12 or 13, and that was it. I then joined the Manchester Youth Theatre, Oldham Theatre Workshop and the National Youth Theatre."

When he left school Stephen did not attend drama school, instead opting for theatre studies at Lancaster University. He got the lead part in a Manchester Youth Theatre production of The Winter's Tale staged at the Library Theatre, and was spotted by a watching agent. A first professional appearance as a pizza delivery boy in a one hour 40th anniversary special of Coronation Street secured membership to Equity.

Since then he has appeared in Hollyoaks and had a speaking part as a policeman in Clocking Off. However, illness struck while he was touring with a theatre company and soon after he was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. He said: "I started losing weight rapidly and got severe stomach pains and mouth ulcers. It is an illness which can just hit you out of nowhere and suddenly your energy is gone. It put me out of acting for six months."

However, the role in Linda Green puts him back in the spotlight. He has also just completed a part time university masters' degree course in script writing and hopes to combine that with his acting.

But what is his advice to anyone thinking of becoming a professional actor?

"You have to be 100 per cent into it, otherwise do not bother. It can get very depressing and you have to be immune to criticism and setbacks. You usually get knocked back from jobs, not because of your acting ability -- you could have given the performance of a lifetime -- but because perhaps you are the wrong height, or the wrong weight."