A TALENTED choirboy is set for television stardom after being chosen from hundreds of hopefuls to appear in a popular BBC series.

Noel Hunwick,14, will star in the Hetty Wainthropp Investigates detective drama which returns to our screens early next year.

The teenager, who is Blackburn Cathedral Young People's Choir head chorister, was put forward for the part by organist Gordon Stewart.

The programme's makers were looking for a local lad with a good voice to play the role of a spoilt youngster in a junior music competition.

And after an audition in Manchester Cathedral, the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School pupil was snapped up by the producers to appear in episode four called Lost Chords.

Noel's proud mum, Joan, said: "It all came out of the blue because he has never done any acting before. We are all excited for him. He has a lovely voice and has been asked to sing Pie Jesu from FaurM-N's Requiem."

Noel, of Kings Drive, Hoddlesden, has already been to London to record the hymn and will travel to Edinburgh to film his scenes.

He said: "I met lots of famous people at rehearsals it was really exciting."

The series is based on the life of middle-aged Darwen housewife Hetty Waintropp, played by Patricia Routledge, who has set up a detective agency. Most of the action takes place in Darwen and surrounding towns.

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