LITTLE Benjamin Hickling has been plucked from obscurity to become the latest soap star. But it's in the commercial breaks between Coronation Street and Emmerdale where you'll see him, because the plucky four-year-old has just filmed a series of adverts for Daz with Michael Barrymore.

Benjamin, of Waltham Gardens, Radcliffe, went along to audition in Manchester with his sisters Robyn, aged 10, and Megan, five.

His mother, Jackie, said: "I wasn't going to take him and he wasn't even going to audition."

But the madcap comedian spotted Benjamin and after chatting to him for 10 minutes decided that he would be ideal for one of the lead roles in the adverts.

"They spent two days filming in Essex and we stayed at a big hotel," said Jackie, who was also roped in to appear in one of the adverts. "Because Benjamin has cerebral palsy he's very small for his age and quite shy, but Michael was so kind, friendly and considerate that Benjamin really came out of his shell. He's a lot more confident now and it's all down to Michael."

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