MILLIONS of people saw the highs and lows of three East Lancashire people who gripped the nation when they took over prime time TV.
Locals dominated ITV between 6.45pm and 10.15pm when they starred in ratings winners Popstars, Blind Date and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
The nation was gripped on Saturday as it finally saw the fate of Kevin Simm, 20, of Abbey Village, when he appeared on Popstars.
The talented singer, whose parents run the village's Royal Hotel, was the first wannabe superstar to be told he hadn't been selected to make the five piece pop band.
Viewers had been following Kevin's fortunes over the last few weeks and his parents, Bernie and Steve along with brothers and sisters Michelle, 19, David, 17, Christopher, 15 and Rachel, 12, watched the show with locals in the pub they run.
Despite being described as "good looking' and "talented" by one of the programme's judges, 'nasty' Nigel Lythgoe, the youngster was told he wasn't quite right for the band.
But Kevin, who has appeared on Stars in Their Eyes and performed sell out shows in Blackpool last year with his own boy band, Force Five, may soon reappear in a rival group made up of the contestants who didn't make the final.
Family friends told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph that show producers had stopped the singer from phoning his parents to let them know how he had done -- and slapped a ban on them talking to the Press.
Kevin said: "This won't get in my way. I'm going to continue with my singing career." It was also revealed how one of the people who made the band, sexy Suzanne from Bury, had once been in a choir in Bacup!
Also getting her 15 minutes of fame was nightclub dancer Lorna Edgar, 22, of Nelson, who stunned Blind Date viewers when she appeared in a raunchy PVC catsuit and teased the audience by asking: "Am I wearing any underwear?"
Blonde Lorna, a dancer at Burnley's Meancats, was chosen by London advertising executive Toby to be whisked away on a trip to Borneo. She performed a sexy dance routine after telling Cilla Black she was in a Steps tribute band.
The former Park High School pupil will reveal next week if she found true love on the show.
But it wasn't good news for former Burnley schoolboy John Stockdale who crashed out of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? on just £1,000.
The marketing manager, who now lives in Solihull, was on £4,000 when he failed to correctly identify where in the country the Tate Britain museum was.
Host Chris Tarrant grimaced after John opted for Manchester after taking 50/50. The correct answer was London.
John, described as 'always studying', had earlier asked the audience when he was faced with the £2,000 question of which character Madonna had played in the film Dick Tracy.
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