A couple have been invited to a recording of Mock The Week after a producer of the show heard how it saved their lives.

Ewan Phillips got in touch with KentOnline after our story, which told how Rob Ellmore was alerted to a blaze at his house after staying up to watch the show on Monday night.

Mr Ellmore said he believed it would have been “game over” for him, his wife Michelle, and their two children had he had not been awake at the time.

Mr Phillips, who read the article after a link was sent to the show’s Twitter account, has since sent an email saying he was glad it ended happily for everyone - including the dog - and that he’d like to offer the couple tickets to a summer recording at the London studios on South Bank.

Mr Phillips said: “We’re really happy to have played a small part in this story ending well and have invited Rob and Michelle to a recording of a show at their convenience when we return with a new series in June.”

Mrs Ellmore said: “We’re still in shock from the fire and feeling lucky that we’re all OK but it was really lovely of them to invite us to the studio. I said thank you to him a lot on the phone and again by email.

“My husband, who is a big fan of the show, said it was something nice to look forward to.”

The show's host, comedian Dara O'Briain, also tweeted a link to the story to his 2 million followers, with the message: "Bloody hell. Well done to Mum, dad and grandad".

The blaze started when Mrs Ellmore was sleeping beside her husband as he watched the show.

Their two children Freya, 18 months, and Luca, four, were sound asleep in their bedrooms as the fire swept through the kitchen of the rented property in Gills Terrace, Upchurch, just before 11.20pm.

It was only when the 29-year-old switched off the TV that he heard a noise coming from downstairs. At first he assumed it was puppy Ted playing around but as the sound got louder he decided to go and investigate.

He said: “I was going to tell the dog [who sleeps in the kitchen] to be quiet. It was only as I got half way down the stairs I smelt the smoke.

"We’ve got a glass panel in the door and I could see it was glowing orange. I opened the door to see where it was coming from and the dog ran out. I then isolated the power.

“As I was dialling 999, I was shouting up to my wife to get the kids out of their bedrooms. She acted like a superhero and got our four year old son on the floor to crawl to the top of the stairs.

“There was a smoke alarm in the kitchen but it didn’t go off. It could have been game over as the smoke would have got us before the flames while we were sleeping.”

The four of them exited the property via the back door but were unable to get out of the garden area due to a gate being locked.

“As I was dialling 999, I was shouting up to my wife to get the kids out of their bedrooms..." - Rob Ellmore

He added: “The keys to the padlock were in the kitchen so Michelle’s dad Nick, who lives next door to us, was helping everyone over the fence with a ladder.”

Crews from Medway and Rainham were are the scene until midnight.

Around 40% of the kitchen was destroyed and the rest of the house was damaged by smoke.

The family, who were taken to Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham for precautionary checks, are currently staying at Rob’s parents home in Arthur Road, Rainham.

Michelle, 28, who was left shaken by the whole incident said: “I woke up to Rob screaming my name. As I sat up the smoke hit me and I knew I had to get the kids out but didn’t know who to get first.

“Their rooms were filled with smoke and their doors were closed. It was scary. You couldn’t breathe.
“I used the light on my phone to find them and get us out.

“I feel very emotional and shaken and very lucky that my husband decided to stay up.
“Someone was obviously watching over us.

“I’d just like to say thank you to the firefighters for all they did, as well as our friends and family who have said they have a spare room or they’re going away and we can stay at their house until things are sorted.”

It is not yet known how the fire started.