A TELEVISION presenter and former Citizen delivery girl is to feature in a Hollywood blockbuster -- as herself.
Sharon Marshall, pictured, from Astley Village, is known to millions of viewers as the resident soap and showbiz expert on ITV's This Morning. The former Parklands High School pupil appears in a regular slot on Wednesdays and Fridays on the award-winning daytime programme.
Her role on the show has led to her being picked for a part in The Picture of Dorian Gray, a movie adaptation of the Oscar Wilde novel, set in the modern day.
She said: "I've just finished filming a cameo appearance for the film, and no, I'm not playing the picture in the attic! It's a role as a TV reporter in which I'm talking about how much plastic surgery Gray must have had to stay so young.
"Phillip Schofield and Fern Britton are interviewing me on the sofa."
The film is directed by the Bafta nominated Duncan Roy, who Sharon met when she interviewed him.
It is due to be released in early 2006, and the main stars include Stephen Fry, Jesse Metcalf, who plays the sexy gardener in Desperate Housewives, and American star David Gallagher, who plays Dorian.
But there was no glamorous trip to California for Sharon. "We filmed it in the studios here in London, so unfortunately I didn't get to travel to Hollywood," she said.
Sharon, 33, has been a national newspaper journalist for more than eight years, most recently as TV editor for the News of the World. She is currently TV critic for the Daily Star Sunday. Sharon did a media course at Blackburn College before embarking on her journalism career in London.
Her first experience in television came as a presenter on Soapfever before being invited to audition for This Morning 18 months ago.
"Highlights of my time as a TV reporter have been going to Australia to report on the 'I'm a Celebrity, Get me out of here' show and having the exclusive story on Big Brother contestant Jade Goody when she left the house," she said.
Her current role at This Morning involves having to watch more than 25 hours of television each week, mainly soap operas.
She said: "Being a Lancashire lass my favourite has got to be Coronation Street, but I do have to keep up with all the others, especially Eastenders and Emmerdale."
Sharon, who lives in London, visits Chorley as often as she can, as her parents still live in Astley Village.
Delivering the Chorley Citizen was her first part-time job and though she loved her round, she said: "It always seemed to be raining!"
Sharon has also worked in a local pub, and reckons that her youthful antics in the town have prepared her for the showbiz lifestyle.
"My work involves attending a lot of functions and parties where the drink flows freely.
"But I was well prepared after an apprenticeship of working at the Game Bird pub, and attending the many pubs and clubs on Market Street," she said.
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