FORMER Gloucester Rugby player Riccardo Orefice has been named the 'new face of Elvis' in the UK and ranked the sixth best tribute to The King in the country.
Riccardo, from Robinswood, was invited to take part in the Porthcawl Elvis Festival last month after his talents were noticed at a wedding.
After splashing out on a specially tailored suit, Riccardo won the contest in South Wales and was then ranked sixth in a national Elvis competition where he was against professional tributes to The King.
Now he is being offered shows across the country and will perform in an Elvis festival in Benidorm next summer.
For Riccardo, 43, the stage and the bright lights are a long way from his days as a player at Gloucester Rugby's development squad, which ended aged 27 after a spinal injury.
He said: "Although I've always liked Elvis I'd never thought about performing, but it seems to be working really well. I love being on stage and performing and I'm really looking forward to next year.
"I would like to push it so I can go professional. I love making people smile and when they come up after a show and say 'mate, that was fantastic,' that's what makes it all worth it."
So far Riccardo has focussed on Elvis' 1968 comeback special and 1970s era in his tribute performances.
He said: "I think most people recognise the 70's as Elvis' best era, and these are the songs that I love. But when I went to the Porthcawl Festival there was so many different eras on show.
"It's lovely being able to be his personality. I don't want people to think I'm Elvis but you have to respect the man that he was.
"When I started to study him I realised how unbelievable he was. Everything was so natural to him and he was such a wonderful person to be around. It's been a pleasure performing as Elvis because it makes you feel closer to the man."
Riccardo is also using his new persona for charitable causes. On December 13 he will perform at the Walls Social Club in Gloucester to help Longlevens teenager Alex Bayliss, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 1998, to pay for medical treatment in the United States.
