A former contestant on The Chase branded as “the most stunning” in the show’s history has opted to add another dimension to his career.

Josh Templeman will link up with Chatteris Fire Station as an on-call firefighter with the Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service (CFRS) after completing a 10-week training course last month.

Josh, 24 and Jack James, 20, have been recruited to the station and will now respond to emergencies in their local area.

Their appointments come after an initial training course, which gives firefighters the skills needed to work safely as a firefighter, and will receive ongoing training before being assessed later this year.

Station Commander Scott Fretwell, who leads CFRS’ on-call recruitment scheme, said: “We’re delighted to welcome nine new recruits to the service.

“On-call firefighters are such a huge part of our service, responding to a range of incidents from fighting fires, attending road traffic collisions, or animal rescues to promoting fire safety.

“Being an on-call firefighter is a challenging yet rewarding opportunity, and we wish them the very best as they start their journeys in Cambridgeshire.”

%image(15848783, type="article-full", alt="Josh (second from right) is one of nine new recruits to join Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service as on-call firefighters.")

It is a paid role and will be supported by team members as they undertake their training.

Many will perform the role alongside other employment or around family life.

The full list of recruits in Cambridgeshire will be based at the following stations:

- March– Paul Smith, Shayla Nicholson and Chris Lynn

- Manea – Grahame Warby

- Chatteris – Josh Templeman and Jack James

- Wisbech – Daniel Rudkin

- Soham – Darren Heslop

- Gamlingay – Alex Barnett

Stn Commander Fretwell added: “If you have the time, looking to do more in your community, and have a reasonable level of fitness, this could be the perfect opportunity and I’d encourage anyone who’s interested in joining to get in touch.”

Josh created a social media frenzy when he appeared on the hit ITV game show last year.

%image(15847709, type="article-full", alt="Josh was labelled as "the most stunning" contestant in The Chase's history when he took part in the hit TV game show.")

One tweeted: “I think Josh is the most stunning contestant I’ve ever seen on #TheChase”, while another likened him to singer and actor Nick Jonas.

At the time, Josh said: “To be honest, I didn’t believe I would actually get on the show!”

For more information on joining CFRS, email: recruitment@cambsfire.gov.uk or visit their website.