He turned up late for work, he spilled or spoilt the drinks and spent too much time chatting to the customers. But no one was likely to moan too much.

After all, the new waiter at the Mad Hatter cafe in Hove used to be boxing champion of the world.

Chris Eubank took on his new duties at the cafe in Montpelier Road yesterday.

Chris, 36, from Hove, agreed to help out at the cafe after losing a bet to owner Nick Saxon.

The pair play pool at the same venue and agreed to bet cash on their games against each other, until eventually Nick was owed the equivalent of the appearance fee Chris usually charges.

Taking a short break from his duties, Chris said: "Nick is a real hustler - he lulled me into a false sense of security by letting me win a few games before beating me every time. And I'm no walkover on the pool table.

"He's a bit cheeky but I've enjoyed working at the cafe for the afternoon. It's been fantastic. I'm not a domestic person at all. I'm a man - I hunt, I fight. But I'm learning."

Chris was due to start work at 1pm but did not turn up until 1.45pm, because he couldn't decide what to wear.

He won approval from staff, however, by arriving in his own apron, ready to get to work.

General manager Matt Lea was less than impressed by Chris' first attempt at producing a cappuccino for a customer.

He said: "Coffee-making may not be the greatest skill in the world but a cappuccino needs to be full and frothy. His was all air and collapsed within seconds. His punctuality was also shocking - to arrive 45 minutes late on a busy Wednesday afternoon is unacceptable.

"But he made up for it by immediately clearing all the used plates and cutlery from every table.

"He is most enthusiastic and interpersonal skills seem to be his forte. He has been building up a real rapport with the customers and drumming up a lot of business.

"We realised it was best to spare him the technical stuff in the kitchen and just let him loose on the customers, taking orders."

Nina Douglas, 27, from Hove, was one of the celebrity waiter's first customers. She ordered a latte.

She said: "I would definitely recommend him for a full-time job. He was really lovely and it was good to see him coming in and showing he's a real human being."

Mel Locke, 27, visiting from Nottinghamshire, said: "The service was slightly slow - he's not as quick in the cafe as he was in the boxing ring. But he seemed a pleasant chap and as a waiter he was not bad."

Chris was accompanied by TV crews who have been filming him and his family for a ten-part fly-on-the-wall series, due to start on Channel Five this September.