IT-off time was only an hour away and the tension was building up fast for the Chippendales' 20 minutes' "teaser".

The strippers were drumming up trade ahead of their summer tour and hundreds of girls - and less than a handful of men - had made their way to Atlantis nightclub, paid £4 each - and now wanted to see some action.

Little did they know that the all-American guys were in fact doing the Full Monty right next door at Esporta gym at that time.

They were just taking in a quick sun bed session, you see.

It was the group's blonde member, Lee Garoutte, who got dressed again first.

Sitting in the gym's foyer, fully-clothed and looking tired, no-one recognised the 28-year-old.

"I've been with the Chippendales for three years," said Lee.

"It's excellent."

Back in his home town near Los Angeles, Lee did modelling and fitness work, but being a Chippendale beats that career hands down.

"It's great fun for a single guy who wants to see the world.

"Anything goes. You get bras and knickers on stage...

"Just have fun!" he advised.

Lee - 6ft1in, 44in chest, 32in waist and 18.5in arms, if you really want to know - said he isn't involved with anyone at the moment, but in the past he had a girlfriend who was a stripper herself.

"It's work," he said, before being joined by two of his colleagues.

Trevor Weeks and Mark Smith looked even more eager to please. They're nice guys, polite and "well-trained", to quote their PR.

They'd even go down well with your grandma - unsurprisingly, as they proudly boast that "grandmas are the world's worst" when it comes to their audiences.

Jasen Johnson - a wannabe actor - was nowhere to be seen and Trevor, 30, dashed around trying to arrange coffee. In the meantime, Mark , the 34-year-old singer of the group, said he was in the first-ever Chippendales group in 1992.

"I thought it would be a flash in the pan," he said.

Insecurity marked those humble beginnings. Feeling "inadequate", he stuffed his G-string full of toilet paper for the "One Night of Sin" scene, not realising that bits stuck out unsexily.

In the face on humiliation, Mark simply laughed, pulling out yards of paper, making it into an act.

The strip show started dying a slow death a few years ago. Then the Full Monty hit the screen and the Chippendales have since "gone through the roof," said Trevor.

At that point, the group's minder - who looked uncannily like Vinnie Jones - rounded up his charges. A quick photoshoot at the gym later, and they're at Atlantis. It's showtime.

Females of all ages gasped, swooned and shouted at the fabulous abs and impeccable pecs in front of them. A few lucky things got to dance with their heroes on stage, there were red silk boxer shorts and then a flash of fluorescent green G-string to the tune of You Can Leave Your Hat On.

Before we knew it, it was all over and the four made their way to the pitch where girls could have their picture taken with the Chips at £5 a throw.

There was no shortage of takers. Vinnie waved the Polaroid camera around with one hand, the other clutching a wad of fivers. In the end girls had to be turned away - time was up and the Chips disappeared out of view.

But not so for 19-year-old Angela Freud from Cadlbeck Avenue in Heaton and her 20-year-old friend Laura Holden. They won a BEN competition to see the Chippendales - and persuaded Vinnie to let them go backstage.

"We were very nervous but when we met they were really nice!" said Angela.

"They were very pleasant - with nice bodies!

"We were thrilled to meet them in person."

They've got the Polaroids to prove their success story - and they didn't have to pay £5 to get them. Some girls have all the luck.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.