THE region's Pie Idol champion has lost the race to become the new face of a leading pie manufacturer.
Marine engineer Will Gordon, of Windy Nook, Gateshead, beat off competition from 50 hopefuls to win the North-East heats of the Fray Bentos Real Bloke Challenge in March.
The contest aimed to find a man to represent the pie-maker in a national advertising campaign.
Mr Gordon, 41, went on to star in a billboard campaign, posing as a Baywatch-style lifeguard.
Like the reality television show Big Brother, the public voted for the winner.
Yesterday, Ted Sayers, of Blackburn, Lancashire, was crowned king of the pies and won a family trip to Florida.
Mr Gordon, a father-of-two, said he was disappointed not to have brought the title back to the region, but has promised to start training for next year's championship.
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