WATCHING Live Aid in 1985 a young Stew Simpson decided he wanted to be a singer.

And the moment he decided on his career choice was relived recently when he landed a part as an extra in the new Queen film Bohemian Rhapsody.

Stew, of Castle Carrock, near Brampton, said: "I played about three different extra roles within the film.

"I was part of the audience and we re-enacted Radio Ga Ga. It was a very short part of the film but it took about 10 days to shoot that particular clip."

An exact replica of the Live Aid set at Wembley Stadium was created for the film and brought to Bovingdon Airfield near Hemel Hempstead, where it was set up for rehearsals with extras on set.

There were about a hundred extras, who were all individually scanned 360 degrees and digitally replicated to imitate a larger crowd.

Stew said: "It was a great atmosphere.

"Rami Malek, who played the part of Freddie Mercury, was very friendly. He said hello to everyone and shook hands.

"The best bit for me was when I played the part of a roadie pushing guitars around.

"I loved being in the film as I remembered watching Live Aid as a child and decided I wanted to be a singer. My dream came true as I now sing with a band called Hadrian's Union."

Stew was on the Bohemian Rhapsody set for about 10 days working eight hours a day.

He said: "There's a lot of waiting around when you're an extra. It's never very glamorous.

"They decided that I'd been seen too much so they let me go home. Not long after I'd left the set Brian May and Roger Taylor turned up and said hello to everyone too so I was gutted that I'd missed them."

Stew went to watch the film when it was released at a cinema in Stratford in London. He said: "I really enjoyed the film although I know it had mixed reviews. I thought it was fantastic, not so much the London ticket prices but the film was good."

Stew has been an extra in a number of films including Pirates of the Caribbean, Dark Shadows, Billy Elliott, The Golden Compass, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Mary, Queen of Scots.

He said: "You can't really see it's me in Star Wars but you do see me in the extras DVD. I am in the casino scene.

"Extras don't generally get a mention in the credits but runners do."

As a general rule of thumb extras are not supposed to talk to the main "stars" of the film.

But Stew said in Pirates of the Caribbean Johnny Depp did wink at him as he went past.

Stew has also starred in a number of TV shows like The IT Crowd and Byker Grove.

He regularly performs at the Music on the Marr festival at Castle Carrock and is in the process of recording a new solo album.

He is currently waiting to hear if he's got an extras part in a new TV series called Pennyworth.

"I'd be playing the role of a bank manager carrying a goose," he said.