FORGET Will Young and Pop Idol - the latest hunk making the ladies swoon is the North-East's own Pie Idol, Will Gordon.

In Desperate Dan fashion, the project engineer for Rolls Royce was crowned king of the region's pie-eaters when he won the Fray Bentos Real Bloke Challenge in Gateshead this weekend.

The tinned pie manufacturer is looking for a real man to be the new face of its product.

At 6ft tall, weighing 16-and-a-half stone, with a 38in waist, Mr Gordon, 41, of Windy Nook, Gateshead, certainly fits the bill.

In true Real Bloke fashion, the father-of-two was attracted to the contest by the gorgeous Fray Bentos girls, who tempted him to enter with a free pie.

"I had only popped into town to go to the bank," he said. "I went over to get a taste of the pies and they asked me if I wanted to enter. I never thought I would win."

The competition, held in Trinity Square, Gateshead, saw more than 40 contestants face a series of challenges to prove their manliness.

This included hammering a pie-o-meter in a strength test, a general knowledge quiz, and the "phwoar" factor - how the crowd of shoppers reacted as the entrants strutted their stuff on stage.

Mr Gordon's face will soon be a familiar sight. He travels to London on March 22 for a photo-shoot, and Fray Bentos plans to plaster his face on billboards across the North-East.

In a Pop Idol-style contest, each regional finalist will have a text number attached to his billboard advert. The one with the most votes will become the ultimate Real Bloke - and win a family holiday to Florida.

"I know all the ladies will be looking at me now, but the missus says she doesn't mind," he said.

"She says she's got the real thing, and that she gets to look at me every day."

And he feels he is in with a good chance.

"When I told the lads what I had won, they weren't surprised whatsoever," he said.

"I am a bit of a joker and an entertainer - I never pass by the chance to do karaoke.

"I will just have to stay on the pies and keep off the salads, and I'm in with a shout."