TELEVISION fame beckons for three people the Marlborough and Pewsey area in the next few days - all in different shows.

Artist Sarah Cross lives in Marlborough and works at the Stoner School in Melksham. On Monday she will be in a new show on BBC1 hosted by Nick Knowles.

In Home Is Where the Art Is, Sarah has to compete to win a special new commission from a homeowner. Together with two other artists, whose skills range from everything from painting, metal work and embroidery to woodcarving and ceramics Sarah will get to snoop around a Mystery Buyers’ home before pitching her ideas.

Sarah said: “It is an amazing opportunity to be a part of this show and have my work seen by so many viewers. Nick Knowles was lovely to work with and filming was good fun.”

Artist Duncan Shoosmith is celebrating after reaching the finals of TV’s Portrait Artist of the Year programme.

Mr Shoosmith, 49, from Marlborough was seen on television on Sky Arts on Tuesday evening in the semi finals of the contest. All nine winners from the heats had to painting British Jazz legend Courtney Pine.

Mr Shoosmith, who is a former pupil of Marlborough College, said: “I was thrilled to reach the semi-finals but assumed that that was a far as I would go in the competition having said that, I found the added pressure really focused my mind. I wanted to achieve more of a likeness than I had in the heat, so just took a little more time than I normally do in the early stages.

“On the day there were timing issues which meant that we took lunch early, before starting our paintings most people didn’t then leave their easels till the four hours was up, such was the pressure in the room no breaks, no sustenance at the end I was completely shot.”

Nearly two thousand artists from the UK entered the competition and seventy two were chosen to compete in this year’s show. The final will be shown on Tuesday.

Meanwhile in Stanton St Bernard part-time model and actress Sarah Gold will be in a new series of Blind Date with Paul O’Grady starting this coming Sunday on Channel 5.

Sarah will feature in the trailer for the programme although she is unsure which episode she will actually be in.