TV STAR
I was on a HUGE kids TV show & got stopped in the street by fans and then it all stopped… I’d kill to be back on it
A POPULAR TV show star has revealed how he used to be stopped in the street by fans and said he'd do anything to be back on it.
Daymon Britton, 45, played youth leader Dominic 'Dom' Meredith on CBBC drama Byker Grove between 2002 and 2006.
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Earlier this month The Sun revealed that Ant and Dec are bringing back the classic 90s show, 17 years after it was last seen on our screens.
The hit drama centered on a youth club in Byker, Newcastle, and made stars of many including Ant McPartlin, 47, and Declan Donnelly, 47.
Daymon, who appeared after the Geordie duo had left, said his time on the show was a "dream".
Reminiscing fondly about the peak of the series, the former star said that he is glad the iconic drama is returning to screens.
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Daymon said: "It was a dream to be on the show at that time.
"When I was involved, I used to get noticed a lot by people when out and about.
"Students all over the country would watch it back-to-back on Sundays when they were hungover. I would get noticed a lot in pubs too.
"You'd get recognised by kids and mums in supermarkets, and then students out drinking on weekend.
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"Living in Newcastle around that time, it was amazing.";
Ever since the reboot was announced, Daymon, who is currently directing The Dumping Ground - a spin-off of kids' favourite programme Tracey Beaker - said he has been inundated with messages.
Daymon said: "It's amazing. I have been getting so many messages from people.
"It's something you never think you're going to hear, it's so exciting."
And he added that he would relish being involved in the reboot.
He jokingly added: "I'm going to be banging on doors, I need to work out who it is to speak to so I can harangue them about being in it."
Byker Grove was launched in 1989 and reached 11 million viewers an episode at its peak.
The show took on controversial adult themes, giving it a reach far beyond the normal demographic.
Ant and Dec started out on the show as PJ and Duncan, later using their character names to launch a pop career.
Despite not working with the famous duo, Daymon said they had clearly left their mark on the place.
He said: "Their persona was still a part of building when I walked in. People were still talking about them.
"They were still flying the flag for Byker Grove after they left, and were great ambassadors for the show.
"Before Byker Grove, the Geordie accent was not represented on TV. Everybody tried to mimic it once it went on air, it felt like proper representation."
And he added that he was "really sad" when the show was decomissioned.
The CBBC drama entertained British kids for 17 years until the last episode aired in 2006.
Looking back with fond memories, Daymon said: "I was 24 when I came in, at that time, I thought my acting days had come and gone.
"The show was so great for me, it launched the second part of my acting career and opened a lot of doors.
"Young people had no other outlets to get advice on teenage pregnancy or drug abuse, there weren't really websites where you could go and find support.
"The producers would read letters sent in by young people and one time they cried over a letter sent in by a young girl who was pregnant.
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"She was saying thank you to them and how one episode which focused on a teenage pregnancy really helped her."
Daymon is currently editing the 11th series of The Dumping Ground, which was shot in the north-east.
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