TONIGHT Matthew I'm going to be . . . these were the words uttered by a one-time chimney sweep as he left behind his karaoke machine for the real thing on ITVs Stars in their Eyes.

Friends and family will be waiting in anticipation to see Stephen Hurrell, who runs a karaoke night at the Railway Hotel, Hapton, take to the stage to sing the 1981 number one Jealous Guy.

Stephen, 40, an engineer at Brencliffe Ltd, Farrington Road, Burnley, has had to keep his lips sealed about the outcome of his performance on the show but on Saturday night all will finally be revealed.

The man who spent seven years sweeping chimneys in Bacup with his father before taking on a more conventional job will shrug off his mucky clothes and undergo a sparkling transformation to become Roxy Music singer Bryan Ferry.

He said: "I have been sworn to secrecy about who wins but all I can say is that everyone's in for a cracking show because they were all really good.

"It was absolutely fantastic and I did actually feel like I was Bryan Ferry with all the make-up on. "

The auditions for the show began in July last year when 60,000 hopefuls applied.

Stephen said: "They got it down to about 5,000, then about 100 and finally down to 60 for the whole series.

"Every time I went down for another audition it got tougher and tougher, with more judges and more cameras.

"The hardest thing was thinking I had got to be Bryan Ferry and not slipping back into being myself.

"I never dreamed I'd actually get on." Stephen's friends persuaded him to apply for the show after hearing him sing on karaoke.

"He sent in samples of himself singing as Bryan Ferry, as well as David Bowie, Elvis Presley and Cliff Richard.

He found out in September that he had made it on to the show when he received a phone call at work.

He said: "I knew I was going to get a call and it would be to say yes or no, so everyone at work was waiting for it.

"When they told me everyone was cheering.

"It was brilliant.

"All my friends are really pleased for me."

His mum, three sisters and two brothers will be getting together to watch his performance on Saturday but his dad will be staying at home in Fleetwood to watch it.

Stephen said: "He won't come up because he's scared he'll miss recording it."

Stephen worked with his dad as a chimney sweep after leaving school before working for a building firm.

He then went on to work at Taylor and Hargreaves in Rossendale for 12 years as a fitter before moving on to Brencliffe 12 years ago.

Once the show has gone out on Saturday, at 8.10pm, Stephen will be hoping for a call up from one of the many talent scouts who sit in the audience.

He said: "I'd love to do some more singing.

"That would be superb.

"They are all told they can't contact us until the show has been shown on TV so I'll have to wait and see."