CALNE farmer Richard Hoddinott has become used to the trappings of fame since becoming a familiar face to millions on the ITV documentary The Farmer Wants A Wife.

The sixth episode of the eight-part series is shown tonight. It follows the fortunes of 12 farmers featured in Country Living Magazine's successful matchmaking campaign to help lonely British farmers in their quest to find partners.

"I have had people say to me that they should be asking for an autograph," said Mr Hoddinott, of Lickhill Farm, Calne.

"The series has had viewing figures of about six million and a lot of people who know me have watched it."

Mr Hoddinott was disappointed in the way he was portrayed in the second episode, which showed a barn dance date in London.

"In the first one I was portrayed as being quite quiet, but I did say quite a lot," he said.

"Then in the second one it made it look as if I left my date sitting at a table and left early, when in fact we got on well."

But he said that the programme had been a lot of fun to do.

"It's been a very interesting thing to do and it is not often that you get a chance to be on television it's been a once in a lifetime opportunity really."

He failed to find love on the programme but has since met Caroline Sharpe, who he has been seeing for three months.

He hopes to return to the limelight on a smaller scale and has auditioned for parts in plays at the Devizes Wharf Theatre and with Shakespeare Live, at Hazlebury Manor, near Box.