FORMER page three model Linda Lusardi has become firm friends with the Burnley family she stayed with as part of a TV game show.

The Brunskills had no idea who would be coming to live with them for three days when they agreed to take part in Celebrities Under Pressure, a new Saturday evening show on Granada.

Mum Jayne, 40, who lives with her husband Graham, 40, and two daughters Kirsty, 17, and Laura, 14, at The Moorings, said: "We didn't know who was going to turn up until we opened the door.

"I'm quite flirty and chatty so I thought they would send me a young lad from Coronation Street."

However, Jayne, a rehabilitation assistant at the Rakehead rehabilitation centre at Burnley General Hospital, said it took the family just an hour to bond with the former model and presenter.

She said: "Linda was my sister, Graham's mate and my daughters' friend -- that's the only way I can describe it. She was so down-to-earth and so lovely.

"During the day we would be filming and in the evening we would have a meal round the table and stay up having a drink and a chat until gone midnight -- it was great."

But it was not all fun and games because as part of the show the celebrity house guest has to practice a challenge, which they then attempt in the studio, and if they complete it they win their host family a prize.

Linda has to balance a cork on top of an empty bottle and then balance a marble on top of the cork. She then has to flick the cork away to allow the marble fall into the bottle. This must be done five times in only two minutes for Linda to win.

Jayne said: "We had a table set up in the living room with bottles and corks for her to practice and we all tried to help out to find the best way to do it." The show featuring the Brunskills goes out on ITV1 on Saturday, October 4 and the family are remaining tight-lipped about whether or not they win their dream holiday to America.

Jayne said: "We are not allowed to say anything about the result. We are planning to get together with all our family and watch it together. Linda has said she will ring me after it has been on."

She added: "About 30 or 40 members of our family and friends came to the studio to watch the filming and we would really like to thank them for their support. We also had a lot of good luck cards and messages too, which was really nice."

The family have stayed in touch with their new celebrity friend since the filming of the show finished in the summer. Jayne and Linda have spoken on the phone and Linda has sent them a video of her family at home in Hertfordshire.

Linda is married to actor Sam Kane, who appeared as hairdresser Peter Phelan in Brookside, and has two young children, Lucy, six, and Jack, three. She said: "The Brunskills were a lovely family. Throughout my stay they were all really friendly and welcoming -- Laura even gave up her room for me to sleep in while I was there.

"By the time I left, I felt like I'd known them all my life. We've spoken quite a lot since we filmed the show and I made them a home movie to show them my house and family as we'd hit it off so much."