Video: Giant pumpkin to make star appearance on BBC’s The One Show with Chris Evans and Alex Jones

Kris Collins, of Thompson and Morgan, stands by the 1,884lb Paton Twins Giant pumpkin that is on display at Jimmy's Farm.

Gardening company Thompson and Morgan brought the whopper, which weighs 1,884lbs (855kg), back to Suffolk after it won the Autumn Pumpkin Festival in Netley near Southampton.

The business sponsors the competition’s weigh-in and therefore gets to take charge of the winning entry. They put up £1,000 if it breaks the British record and £10,000 if it becomes the biggest on the planet.

This year’s star, grown by twins Ian and Stuart Paton from Lymington, picked up the former and was not far short of the 2,009lb world record.

Thompson and Morgan spokesman Kris Collins said: “The Paton twins have been growing pumpkins since they were 13,” he said. “They have held the record on nine occasions.

“We brought the pumpkin back to our headquarters in Ipswich and because it was so big we thought we’d do something special with it.”

The giant gourd first went on a tour of Ipswich and was then handed over to artist Janie Pirie to transform into a Halloween display.

It now sports an intricate carving of a spooky face and is on show at Jimmy’s Farm in Wherstead.

Mr Collins added: “Janie spent two and a half days carving it. I was really impressed with how the locals have taken to it, no one can believe that it’s real.

“It has surprised us but I think the time of year it is, the build up to Halloween, pumpkins are in the psyche.”

The pumpkin’s next star turn will be to appear on The One Show tomorrow with Chris Evans and Alex Jones.

It will then be on show at the Ipswich fireworks display on Saturday before being allowed to rot so Thompson and Morgan can get at the seeds.

They will then be sold to prospective giant-pumpkin growers eager to get their hands on that £10,000 top prize next year.