A NORTH-East family will be rubbing shoulders with TV stars next week as they feature as Family of the Week in Channel 4's Big Breakfast.

The Francis family, from Ingleby Barwick, near Stockton, Teesside, were chosen to take part after appearing in a DIY show.

The five members of the family - father Joe, mother Sue, and children Elliott, 14, Kristian, 12 and Grace, ten, welcomed TV cameras into their home yesterday for preliminary filming.

On Sunday, they will travel to London, and feature on the early-morning programme for a week. They will have breakfast with the presenters live on air every morning and take part in competitions and features.

The family are used to being in the limelight. Elliott, a keen actor, has been selected for some starring roles, but fate has been against him.

Mrs Francis and Elliott were selected to appear in a new Coca Cola advert, but had just paid for a family holiday, which coincided with filming.

Elliott was also selected from hundreds of hopefuls to appear in the London Palladium production of Oliver, but had to pass up the opportunity because of a family illness.

Elliott saw Channel 4 advertising for families for its weekly slot, and begged his parents to put their names forward.

Mrs Francis said: "I'm quite happy to do things like this so we went for it. I'm just starting to get worried now because we've been asked so many questions about everything, and every day the family has to dish the dirt on each other.

"We were meant to be going up this week, but they rang back and asked us to do Halloween week. I'm worried they'll make us dress up like the Addams Family or something, but I am sure we will have a good laugh.