Carterton cowboy targets TV | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

The chance to tell the country "The milkybars are on me!" made for a long and restless night for one young Carterton boy on Thursday.

"He's very excited. He couldn't sleep last night and he's had his cowboy outfit on since first thing this morning," said Penny Blathwayt, mother of 7-year-old aspiring actor Lachlan Blathwayt.

Lachlan, who goes to Carterton School, is one of 59 kids chosen from about 1500 entries nationwide for the semifinal auditions for television's iconic milkybar kid role.

He was heading to Wellington yesterday for the audition, hoping to make it to the final round of the competition.

Lachlan said he likes acting, and thought he "might be good" at the Wellington audition.

Mum Penny said she was surprised at the attention.

"I have to say that it wasn't one of those things that [we thought] was this big."

She said she was sent an entry form by a family friend who thought Lachlan was the perfect candidate for the role.

"They sent through the script and said 'Who do you think this is?'. It's always been a bit of a thing in our family."

In perhaps a sign of the times the newest aspiring milkybar kid has only ever seen his prospective predecessors on the internet. "We haven't seen it on TV, but we have seen it on Youtube."

Mrs Blathwayt said the family thought Lachlan had missed out, but received an email on Monday with the good news.

Casting director Suzanne McAleer, also part of the judging panel, said the new milkybar kid could come from any background or ethnic group. "We're just looking for a vibrant, engaging child with star quality."

The 10 finalists are announced on October 18, and will appear on breakfast television show Good Morning before the public votes for the ultimate winner - to be named on November 19.