Liverpool soul star Chris Amoo revelled in rolling back the years after providing another hit by reaching the Best in Show final at Crufts.

Amoo, a founding member of Merseyside band The Real Thing, and his five-year-old Irish Wolfhound Paris were a fan favourite at the world’s greatest dog show but lost out to Lagotto Romagnolo Orca on Sunday evening.

The 70-year-old, who soared to the summit of the UK charts with 1976 song You to Me Are Everything, previously won Best in Show in 1987 with an Afghan Hound called Viscount Grant.

And after winning best in the hound group at NEC Birmingham, Amoo indulged in a dose of nostalgia having first fallen in love with dog showing back when his former group were active.

He said: “It means everything.

“Crufts is the greatest dog show in the world and just to be able to win a group here is beyond most people's dreams, so it's fantastic.

“Most people are aware of my musical background. I remember our first dog show, I think we were No.5 in the charts, so everyone knows about it.

“I got into it a long time ago, we decided that we'd like an Afghan Hound and a friend of ours took us to a dog show. 

“We just became enamoured with it all, I just loved it right from that moment and we've done it ever since.

“The crowd reaction was lovely and it gets him going. When he hears all the people clapping and shouting, he puts his head up and he just wants to go, it’s great.

“Irish Wolfhounds are really laid back but very athletic and they are just a pleasure to be with, very friendly and gentle, and they are a pleasure to own.”

Amoo, along with his wife Julie, have been successful dog breeders for decades, starting while The Real Thing were still in the charts and have now added another Best in Group title to their collection.

While Amoo has had an unconventional route into dog showing, the winning Best in Show owners Javier Gonzalez Mendikote and Ante Lucin endured a long journey just to reach the famous green carpet.

Alongside Orca, the duo travelled for 25 hours from Croatia to Birmingham in order to compete, but it was more than worth it after taking home the ultimate accolade.   

“It was always a dream and today it has come true,” said Gonzalez Mendikote.

“Winning the group on the first day you have a lot of time to think, but when we entered, we thought it could be the last time to win Best in Show so we thought let’s enjoy it.”