FORMER Darwener Keith Allen (above) is set to become a household name after shooting to stardom on the small screen.

The 50-year-old, who lived in the town for 12 years, is one of the main characters of the new BBC fly-on-the-wall style "docu-soap" Pleasure Beach.

He will be following in the footsteps of Darwen chef Dave Smith, who became the undisputed star of the highly acclaimed BBC 1 series Hotel.

Viewers can see Keith going about his duties as the operations manager at Blackpool's famous amusement park during the six week series which started last Monday and continues tonight.

Keith worked at ICI as a process controller and also at Evertaut during his time in Darwen before moving to the seaside resort in 1990.

He often returns to the town with his wife Cath, whose family still live in the Lynwood area.

He said: "I still have a lot of friends in Darwen and enjoy popping into my old local the Mill Gap for a pint.

"Its quite interesting that a lot of people on television at the moment have Darwen connections - maybe its something in the air!"

A catchline set to crop up time and time again as Keith works alongside director and general manager Jim "JR" Rowland is "get it off and open," refering to his obsession with keeping rollercoasters rolling.

Keith added: "There is a lot to be done and JR is there to make sure they get done. So if that means a few sharp words, I don't mind.

"I am known for my sense of humour and tend to spend a lot of time laughing and joking. Because it is an amusement park the emphasis is always on fun.

"I think I have the best job in the world. It is more of a way of life than work."

Keith can be seen in action on BBC 1 at 9.30pm every Monday until March 9.

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