World Gurning Championship winners crowned
Ged Eccles won the World Gurning Championship at the Egremont Crab Fair after years of dedicated practice. Actor Will Mellor also participated, securing second place in the competition.
Why it matters
The event highlights the preservation of unique, centuries-old cultural traditions in rural England.
Image source, Steven R Wood Image caption, Will Mellor came second in the men's competition
Actor Will Mellor has come a surprise second in the World Gurning Championships, pipped to the main prize by local man Ged Eccles who had come close but never before won.
Part of the annual Egremont Crab Fair in Cumbria, which began in 1267, the gurning competition has been a fixture since the 1500s. Competitors are judged on their ability to pull the ugliest or most grotesque face.
The Hollyoaks and Mr Bates vs The Post Office star won second place in the men's competition after attending as part of a programme he was filming.
Eccles said he felt "ecstatic" to have finally won the men's competition. It was his first victory since becoming the junior champion in 1985.
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