A STAR of a popular BBC show has been called “brilliant” after rescuing two injured motorists from an overturned van on the M5 near Falfield.

Mark Millar, a carpenter and project manager on BBC One’s DIY SOS, raced to help after spotting the vehicle in distress across two lanes by the northbound entrance to the Michaelwood services at around 3.35pm on Wednesday, May 11.

Mr Millar climbed on top of the overturned van to pull the man and woman trapped inside to freedom.

While the recovery of the vehicle was in progress, traffic had queued all the back to junction 14 in Falfield, where police were advising motorists to exit.

A spokesman for Gloucestershire Police, who arrived on the scene while the rescue was in progress, hailed Mr Millar as “brilliant” and “quite brave” for facing the traffic during the rescue, mentioning that “there were cars whizzing by on the fast lane”.

The couple, who sustained minor injuries form the incident, have also said how grateful they are to Mr Millar for his actions.

After being alerted to his colleague’s heroic act, the show’s host Nick Knowles jokingly tweeted “To be in a crash then have Mark peering through the upturned window - as if they haven't suffered enough!”