A FORMER Bolton caretaker is set to star in a new fly-on-the-wall documentary series about modelling.

A year ago Vernon Kay was plucked from obscurity by model agency scouts who spotted him in the crowds at a BBC Clothes Show Road Show in Birmingham.

Now television cameras have followed the 23-year-old Horwich man as he begins his fight to become the King of the Catwalks.

It's only a couple of years since Vernon used to work as a caretaker at Hart Common CE Primary School in Westhoughton, as well as being on the council's payroll as a cleaner during his summer breaks from university. Now millions of viewers are set to see him strutting his stuff in the first episode of "Babewatch", which is set to give an insight into how hopefuls make it to the top.

The Bolton lad is described as the Liam Gallagher of the modelling world, with his cocky catwalk swagger which mirrors the bad boy of pop!

Now he shares a flat with two other models in London, but he spoke to the BEN last night from the home of his parents Gladys and Norman, in Bolton. Vernon, who is on the books of the Select Model Agency, said: "I couldn't believe it when I got a call to go to the agency last January.

"I was just getting over a bout of flu. I had baggy eyes and looked terrible so I thought I wouldn't stand a chance.

"I keep in touch with all my mates and I don't talk about my work much.

"They can still all remember that I'm the lad who used to make a fool of himself at parties.

"There's one or two pretentious people in the business but that's when you break into a broad Bolton accent and they take you as they find you.

"When I see some 17-year-old girl walk into the room who's just earned £10,000 in a day from modelling I just think to myself 'I bet you can't neck back a pint in 20 seconds'.

"When you get on the catwalk is the time you need to have some attitude and that's when I put on a swagger."

Now Vernon can command daily salaries of up to £3,500, although that's still less than his female colleagues earn.

He's already appeared in dozens of adverts in women's magazines as well as modelling for top fashion houses such as Nicole Fahri.

Tune into ITV on Monday at 8.30pm to see how Vernon fares in his first steps in the world of modelling.

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