THE finishing touches are being put to Doncaster's gay pride event - with organisers predicting the festival will be one of the best in the country.

Hundreds of people are expected to descend on the Market Place for the seven hour festival next month which will be presented by former Big Brother winner Brian Dowling.

Singer Katrina Leskanich, formerly of Katrina and the Waves, will headline the event which is being held between 2pm and 9pm on Sunday, August 17.

Brian won the second series of the reality TV show in 2001 and has regularly appeared on our screens since.

He has also featured on reality cooking programme Hell's Kitchen and his other TV credits include Footballer's Wives, Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, SMTV Live and Party in the Park.

Doncaster Pride is now in its second year and Brian will be hosting the 3pm to 6pm slot.

Singer Jane McDonald has agreed to be the event's patron.

Jenny Dewsnap, vice chair of the festival, said: "We've been chasing Brian for a good few weeks now and we're absolutely thrilled he's agreed to come and present for us.

"This is only the second Doncaster Pride and we feel it's news like this - along with Katrina headlining and Jane McDonald agreeing to be our patron - that stakes us a claim as one of the fastest growing and best regional prides in the entire country never mind Yorkshire or the north of England.

"Our line-up is now pretty much complete and we always said this would be a great party and it's certainly shaping up to be."

Doncaster Pride will start with a walk of unity from the Mansion House to the Market Place between 2pm and 3pm.

Katrina and the Waves had their greatest chart success in the 1980s with the hit Walking on Sunshine and also won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1997 with the UK's entry Love Shine A Light.

The line-up on the music stage also includes tribute performer The Kylie Experience, Yorkshire based performers Ti Amero and Tobias, and Icelandic rockers Sign.

Other confirmed performers include Patchwork Grace, female rapper MCMC, drag duo Miss Bobbie Dazzler and Miss Whiplash, My Sobriquet, rapper MC Envy and Cavali.

Other attractions will include a market, food court and fairground.
Doncaster Pride is a free non political, family event staged by the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community but is open to the public.

For more information see www.doncasterpride.co.uk.