WORTHING Crematorium has made a surprise appearance on national television featuring in BBC One’s hit show Who Do You Think You Are?

The episode featured Eastenders actress Lisa Hammond who was on the hunt to discover more about her grandfather Harry Hammond, who died in 1995.

After tracing his burial spot to to the Worthing Borough Council-owned facility in Findon, staff member Tracy Kelly helped Lisa locate the grave.

Tracy, who has worked for the council for four years, said: “It was an enjoyable experience.

“We get a lot of people coming to the office and asking for help in tracing their relatives so we were only happy to help.”

The show, produced by Wall to Wall productions, aired on September 7 and is available to watch on iPlayer for the next month.

Tracy said it was not her first time on television - she featured as a 12-year-old in an ITV children’s show called Bunch of Fives.

But she said that was nothing compared to featuring on a hit BBC series, which is shown around the world.

Tracy said: “It certainly did make my children smile when they watched it.

“All in all the whole process took a few hours.

“We did the filming in reception and then we let Lisa and the crew go into the grounds to locate the burial spot.

“She was lovely and after filming we had a few nice photos with her before she went.”

It is not the first time that Worthing has hosted film crews.

Television shows such as Cuffs and the Antiques Roadshow have been shot in the town in recent years.

This summer the council-owned lido provided the backdrop to a movie about the lives of Laurel and Hardy, starring Steve Coogan and due to hit the big screen next year.

Andy Edwards, Head of Environment at Adur & Worthing Councils, said: “Worthing Crematorium is one of the busiest in the country.

“Yet its unique position in the South Downs means it is a magical tranquil place and it was a pleasure seeing it feature on national television.

“I know our staff took great pride in assisting and supporting Lisa with her enquiry, as they do any customer that comes through the door.”

For more details on the crematorium visit www.worthingcrem.co.uk

Worthing Crematorium was opened by Worthing Borough Council on January 5 1968 to serve the surrounding communities.

Since then, more than 100,000 cremations have taken place at the site in Findon Road, making it one of the busiest in the UK.

Who Do You Think You Are? is a Bafta-winning show which features one of Britain’s best-loved celebrities trace their family tree to reveal stories of their ancestors.

Adur and Worthing has hosted many film crews in recent years.

In May Hollywood stars flocked to Worthing as the seafront became the backdrop for a new feature-length film.

‘Stan and Ollie’, starring Steve Coogan and U.S. star John C. Reilly tells the story of Laurel and Hardy’s final tour in 1953.

As part of their caper, film crews booked out the Worthing Borough Council-owned Lido to capture one of the movie’s crucial scenes.

It was the latest in a series of productions to visit the town in recent years, including television shows such as ‘Cuffs’, ‘Don’t Tell The Bride’ and ‘The Fear’.

Councillor Kevin Jenkins, Worthing Borough Council’s executive member for regeneration, said at the time: “I’m delighted to welcome Steve Coogan, John C. Reilly and the rest of the crew to Worthing.”

“Our town has a fine heritage when it comes to film: from hosting some of the first moving pictures on the pier in the late 19th Century, through to providing locations for more contemporary shows in recent years.”

“I can’t wait to see our town become the backdrop to the comic capers of Stan and Ollie, whose presence will help continue to put Worthing on the map.”

The BBC film sees the comic duo visit a number of music halls across the UK to entertain their fans one last time.

It has been written by Jeff Pope, who worked with Coogan on Oscar-nominated ‘Philomena’.

Councillor Jenkins said: “I want to thank the tourism and events team at the borough council, the leaseholder of the lido and the wider population for helping make this happen.”