IDENTICAL twins Ben and Matt Lyon have had a head start in their quest for stardom, thanks to an appearance on TV's the Big Breakfast.

The pair from Twiss Green Lane, Culcheth won through to the finals of the show's search for a supermodel competition from more than 5,000 entries nationwide.

And although they didn't actually win the competition on live TV, their star quality meant they were still offered lucrative contracts with top agency Models One.

The 15-year-olds, who have just finished their GCSEs, are now on the same books as supermodels Jerry Hall and Yasmin Le Bon.

The star struck teens returned to Culcheth at the weekend after travelling up to London to appear on the show, where they met presenters Kelly Brook and Johnny Vaughan.

Dad Keith said: "At the time Johnny Vaughan told the finalists that they were all winners, although there were only two cheques available as prizes for the eventual winners.

"And he was right because after the show the boys were interviewed by Models One and offered contracts."

The boys will be travelling back to London later this month to be photographed for new portfolios and to do a couple of small modelling jobs.

Keith added: "The good thing is they have been catapulted inside one of the biggest modelling agencies in the world rather than waiting around on the bottom rung."

Viewers saw Ben, Matt, Keith and mum Chris take part in the full programme on Friday, from modelling on the specially built catwalk to being part of the Big Breakfast's famously noisy audience. There were also specially filmed inserts about family life which had been taped earlier in and around their Culcheth home.

Ben, who has already had a taste of fame as one of the characters in an advert for the Sunny Delight soft drink, said: "Johnny and Kelly were really great. I would love to go into that kind of thing as a career."

And Matt added: "It was relaxed but they were very serious as well. Everything had to be done right to help the programme go along smoothly." Matt himself was picked for a role in a new ITV sci fi series, but missed out because it came at the same time as his GCSEs.

The pair are determined to keep their feet on the ground as their careers take off. Matt said: "Education comes first."

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.