Gurinder Chadha has spoken of her pride at carrying the Olympic torch.

She ran the Blackpool to Manchester segment near Burnley this weekend.

Blackpool is where she shot her first feature film, the unforgettable ‘Bhaji On The Beach’ and Manchester was of course home to a football team connected to a certain Mr Beckham!

Gurinder said, "It was a complete and utter exhilarating experience, I am honoured and blessed to have been selected as one of only a few thousand out of all of Britain's 56 million population to run with the Olympic flame.

"I shall treasure my torch and display it in my house next to my OBE!"

"My goodness, I don't think my parents would have ever imagined I would have such honours showered on me when they first arrived on British soil in the sixties.

"I am proud to be a British Punjabi and when I first took hold of the flame I said to myself 'Bole Sonihal'. Saturday has been a great day for me and my community!"