SHOPPERS did a double-take when they saw Peter Kay's sidekick Paddy McGuinness filming in Bolton town centre yesterday.
He was taking part in a new advertising campaign for Greggs bakery.
The comedian, who has starred in Phoenix Nights and Max and Paddy's Road To Nowhere, was playing a landscape gardener buying his lunch at the shop in Newport Street.
Paddy said: "The adverts are quite funny and I thought I would give it a whirl. They wanted to film in Bolton, so it's nice and easy for me.
"When I was at college I used to come here and I could buy a pastie, cake and some pop for £1, so it was like a second home to me."
This is the first of a series of adverts for the company, which will be screened from Monday, April 16.
A second advert, which is planned to be aired later in the year, is being filmed today.
John Dean, creative director for Propaganda, the company shooting commercial, said: "We thought that Paddy would be great for the brand because it is good, straightforward and honest - he is the living embodiment for what we stand for.
"In the adverts, he is an on-the-go landscape gardener and he pops in the shop to get some lunch and meets his mates.
"In another advert, he takes his van to a beauty spot to eat his pastie.
"Bolton seemed like the natural choice to film because it is where Paddy is from and it has a northern solidarity, even though it is a national company.
"We only got clearance to film three days ago and Bolton Council has been great sorting out all the logistics."
Shopkeepers hope this will be a boost for the town.
Imran Mohamed, of the Newsbox, which two doors away from the Greggs shop, said: "It is quite exciting to have stars filming in Bolton and it helps to put the town on the map."
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