CHOIRMASTER Gareth Malone returns to his Dorset roots in an episode of his new series The Choir: Gareth's Best in Britain.

The former Bournemouth School student has been working with the Christchurch-based Funky Little Choir, and the ensemble is due to feature on the BBC Two show during its current run.

The presenter of award-winning series Sing While You Work and The Choir: Military Wives is on a quest to find the country's 'most entertaining amateur singing group'.

Funky Little Choir performs a range of music including many contemporary hits by the likes of KT Tunstall, Elbow and Annie Lennox.

Sandie Elkins, 41, founded the choir nearly 10 years ago in a bid to offer more variety to local singers.

"About a year later the first Gareth Malone programme went out and everything just went nuts," she said.

"Singing became a really popular thing, and it has all got more and more popular since he has done more shows."

She said she and a picked group of 15 from the choir had travelled to several locations around the country during filming.

"It was interesting and exciting," she said.

"We were like a bunch of school kids really, extremely nervous, but it was also inspiring and gave us new confidence.

"I think we have changed for the better since - the advice we got was really helpful."

She said she hoped more people would get involved with singing after seeing the show.

The series follows Gareth as he travels the length and breadth of the UK, from the Scottish Highlands to the Channel Islands.

He said: "I’m thrilled to bring a fresh search for the musical rough diamonds among the British public to BBC Two.

"Having discovered the best a cappella groups the nation has to offer last year, this series goes one step further, pitting groups from all types of music head-to-head."

Gareth will audition a diverse mix of groups and choirs in towns, cities and villages across the country, before selecting four to go head-to-head in the contest stages of the series.

He’ll work with the four handpicked groups, offering his expert guidance, before they perform in front of a live audience and a jury of musical experts, who’ll vote on which choir they found most entertaining.

In the grand final, the three choirs left standing will compete to receive the most votes from the invited jury.