Just one year ago the South Oxhey Community Choir was the talk of the nation, its members’ remarkable transition from musical no-hopers to community heroes having just been told in the BBC documentary Unsung Town.

But what has happened to the stars of the show in the 12 months since the series ended and, more importantly, what has happened to the choir itself?

“We’re still going strong,” explained TV favourite Russ Clancy, who has since accepted the position of choir chairman.

“We lost a few members in the weeks after the show finished but those members that we did loose have all been replaced and the choir remains very strong. We’ve now got about 150 members on the adult side and about 40 in the kids’ choir. We’ve just started back from the summer holiday and have had about eight more members join, so it’s still going very well. Our focus now is to secure charity status and a board of trustees to take us forward.”

Mr Clancy also explained the wider social and emotional impact of the choir. He said: “It’s made me very much more positive and a lot more motivated and it has made South Oxhey a better place. It still brings people together who would otherwise cross the road to avoid each other.”

Kitty Lee, the 90-year-old first lady of the choir, agreed. She said: “It’s been great for community spirit and it’s had a great impact on me. Singing in a choir is not something you expect to be doing when you’re 90 years old but I am still really enjoying myself. It has really lifted me and helped a lot of people to meet each other.”

Boxer Matty Leonard, meanwhile, has put his singing days behind him to pursue a career back in the ring and, somewhat improbably, on the silver screen.

He explained how a chance meeting with director and actor Nick Moran won him a role in British gangster film The Kid.

He said: “We used to go to school together. I saw him in a pub and said ‘you used to beat me up when we were kids, come outside now and we’ll have it out’. I was only joking but he said I was really menacing and offered me a part in the film. I played a henchman. I had to give somebody a good hiding and sell somebody else a gun. I’m no actor and I don’t know if I’ll do it again but it was great fun. The premier was a couple of weeks ago in Leicester Square. Kylie Minogue was there with Barbara Windsor.”

Another choir member to feature heavily in the series was Maggie Forman. Her celebrity status may have waned but her love for the choir is as strong as ever. She explained: “It was a great TV show but the choir was not really about being on the telly, it was about the community doing creating something positive. It’s great that we are still doing so well. As long as people still want to hear us we will keep on going.”

Choir Master Gareth Malone has retained his involvement with the group and – filming commitments permitting – attends as many rehearsals as he can.