For the latest news from in and around Wigan sign up to the MyWigan newsletter here Being a clown is a way of life for Lucy Wilkinson.
The mum-of-three - known professionally as Louby Lou - loves nothing more than walking into a room wearing a big wig and making kids laugh.
And for Louby Lou, clowning is more than just dressing up and cracking a few jokes. The 40-year-old, from Leigh, rises at 5am to do yoga, go running and update her journal before cracking on with her day in the funny business.
But like most performers, Lucy's work evaporated almost overnight when the UK entered national lockdown in March last year. Her diary - once packed with kids’ parties and school or hospital visits - was suddenly empty.
Read more on manchestereveningnews.co.uk