LUKE MARSDEN: Love Island star Keanan is doing Wigan proud

​No, you haven’t been in a coma for months and it’s now December: half of Haigh plantations have been transformed into a winter wonderland as filming was taking place by a production company for a new ITVX TV show.

Perhaps Wigan’s finest woodland area is going to be the backdrop for a modernised version of A Christmas Carol where even Scrooge has to ration.

Regardless, it’s refreshing to see Haigh Hall’s woodland area being used for something productive rather than the usual dumping ground.

ITV clearly have an interest in Wigan as currently starring in Love Island is Leigh Leopards player, Keanan Brand who has repeatedly pointed out he was born in Wigan.

Despite having more luck with rugby balls than the gals in the Love Island villa, it’s great to see a Wiganer on TV and representing our town in a positive light.

I’ve long been a champion of Wiganers doing good on a national platform while never forgetting which side their pie is buttered.

Rock band The Lathums are another great example of people showcasing Wigan to the world; they are literally performing across Europe over the next few months.

Perhaps this year’s Christmas lights switch-on will be totally star-studded (alongside icon Hacker T Dog) and Wiganers will flock out to watch Keanan spread more love than he has in the villa.

ITV is clearly showing our town some love at the moment (more so than some Wiganers actually do!) and we should be grateful that in this current climate we are seeing some national players investing in Wigan.

If you’re reading this and want to follow in the footsteps of Keanan and others who may have appeared on reality TV shows in the past, applications are open now for ITV’s next reality show venture, Big Brother in the autumn.

Let’s get another Wiganer on TV and, in the words of The Lathums, go from nothing to a little bit more…