LUCAS Gunn is probably the nearest person you could meet to a TV natural. Well, the nearest person you could meet inside a Tesco superstore, at any rate.

And that's ironic, because he has not enjoyed watching himself on BBC2's Superstore documentary series, which ends tomorrow night.

For the past five weeks, Lucas has been getting used to being recognised both in and away from the Banbury supermarket.

He's also had to get used to opening up newspapers and seeing things written about him by people he has never met, who know him only from his small screen image.

He's been described, variously, as 'bolshy', 'stroppy', 'jack the lad' and 'forthright'.

In person, he comes across as guarded - when he's around journalists, anyway - but he'll speak his mind. "The series has been warts and all, but I think it's portrayed us well," he says.

"Some things in it make you cringe, but they were only minor blips - nothing to make the share prices plunge.

"The film crew weren't here to do us any favours, but there was someone from Tesco corporate affairs with them all the time."

During the filming, Lucas underwent a change in attitude which eventually saw the 24-year-old promoted to his current position of provisions manager.

"It would have happened whether the film crew had been here or not," he says firmly. "My promotion was not a publicity stunt. I thought a change was long overdue. You can't muck about forever. The series has had a impact on my life in the short term, but unlike other fly on the wall programmes, we were looked at as a business, not as a collection of oddball characters.

"I wouldn't take part in anything like it again and I don't like watching myself on TV. My mum's taped it all, though. But I'll be glad - absolutely - when it ends."

Fresh food trading manager Norman Green, on the other hand, says he "wouldn't mind" taking part in another fly on the wall programme, although, like Lucas, he's uncomfortable when he sees himself on TV.

"I've been very fortunate," said the 41-year-old father-of-two.

"I didn't have the same exposure as Lucas. But the more you watch, the more you pick out and the more you criticise. I can't watch myself all the way through - I had to get up and pour myself a Scotch. My wife Val and sons Nathan and Liam enjoyed it.

"The filming didn't bother me at the time but the waiting for it to be broadcast did. It was like being in suspended animation - it made me quite anxious.

"I didn't know what people's reaction would be like or what parts they would use. But I don't enjoy seeing myself on TV."

As we leave the Tesco staff room, a couple of female employees tease Norman and Lucas by singing "Superstar, superstar" at them.

Norman grins and says: "We always were - you just didn't notice it."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.