RUTHIN''S very own punk rock vicar has moonlighted as one of 100 judges in the latest series of BBC1 singalong contest.

Eagle eyed music fans may have spotted The Reverend Philip Chew, mission area leader of the Dyffryn Clwyd Mission Area, among the judges on the prmeire of the second series of Altogether Now. has joined

Joining comedian Rob Beckett and former Spice Girl Geri 'Ginger Spice' Horner - nee Halliwell - Mr Chew - who is also lead singer of Punk band, Revisit was among the experts judging the performance of music hopefuls in song.

Mr Chew said: “I was contacted out of the blue last August by the production company, asking if I would be a Judge on All Together Now."

Known as The 100 the judges are a mix of singers from every corner of the music industry with big voices and even bigger opinions, who bring their own distinctive style and taste to the judging panel.

Mr Chew brings nearly forty years’ experience in the music industryto the panel, in stark contrast to his 'day job' where he looks after five churches in Llanarmon-yn-Ial, Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd, Llangynhafal, Llanychan and Llanynys.

Mr Chew added: “They wanted people from different walks of life that have a variety of musical backgrounds to be judges on this singing competition.

"My band has taken me to the most remarkable of places and even though many of the songs we perform are not necessarily overtly Christian, the message has always been of Christ.”

As part of the filming for the programme TV cameras joined Phil and his congregation at St Peter’s Church in Llanbedr last October.

The service is likely to feature as an insert into one of the six heats of the show, which will continue to air throughout March and April.

Mr Chew has also just published a memoir, Altar Ego! Tales of the Punk Vicar, available from Amazon as a paperback or in digital format.

Phil will be signing copies of Altar Ego! Tales of the Punk Vicar at the Raven Inn in Llanarmon-yn-Ial on Saturday, March 9 from 10am until 12pm.