Bovingdon resident Chris Day is enjoying his 15 minutes of fame, after being selected to front the Mencap “New Year, New Me” campaign.

Mr Day, 55, who suffers with learning disabilities, was chosen alongside eight other people around the country to be the face and voice of a new campaign video released by the charity.

The drama and photography enthusiast said: “I received an email from Mencap in November and decided I would apply for the competition.

“I had to email Mencap telling them what I hoped to achieve in 2012.

“I said I’d like to go stage at the London Palladium and also find a base for my drama group, the Action Enterprise Drama Group Pioneer Spirits, which currently meets in St Albans. I would like them to have a building to be used for other people with a learning disability.”

The charity’s “New Year, New Me” campaign is designed to challenge and inspire people with a learning disability to set themselves personal goals that can make a positive difference to their lives and those of their friends and family.

The campaign is being supported by Britain’s Got Talent winner Jai McDowall, a former learning disability support worker, who is taking part in the London marathon for Mencap as part of his very own New Year challenge.

According to Mr Day, who lives in Vicarage Lane, he was over the moon when he discovered he had been selected to star in Mencap’s campaign video, especially as he had entered the competition at the last minute.

He said: “I’ve always wanted to go on stage at the London Palladium, I love the razzamatazz, so I decided I would set going on stage there as a goal for this year.

“After I found out I had been chosen, a film crew came around to my home on December 10, to shoot the video. I was a bit nervous, going on camera, but I soon took it all in my stride.”

This is not the first time Mr Day has been honoured with an award. In June 2011 he bagged the Keith Rumble award, which celebrates the lives and personalities of people with learning difficulties.

The award, a gold cup, was presented by members of the Pioneer Spirits, and is given in memory of one of its founders – Keith Rumble.

Despite appearing in the campaign film, Mr Day said he will not be letting fame go to his head – he’s far too busy preparing for the Pioneer Spirit’s latest pantomime production, “Pants!”, as Dame Rosie Lavender Y-Fronts.

He said: “It’s an honour to have been chosen to appear in the Mencap film, I’m really proud. I only hope one day I will indeed get a chance to appear on stage at the London Palladium.”

Pantomime “Pants!” is at the Sandpit Theatre, St Albans, Thursday from 7.30pm. To see Mr Day in the Mencap campaign video visit: http://www.mencap.org.uk/newyearnewme.