The search for a missing Sittingbourne man will feature on national TV.

Matthew Green disappeared after walking out of his family’s Rock Road home more than three years ago.

His distraught parents, Pauline and Jim, pray the ITV1 show, which is due to air in October, will trigger new leads on their beloved son’s whereabouts.

Mrs Green said: “It was very emotional, but the programme will bring us to a
wider audience.

“Missing people who have previously featured on this show have been located, so hopefully they can delve deeper into it and get more information than we can.”

Matthew was last seen at the family home at 8pm on April 8, 2010.

He was 26 at the time and told his parents he was going to stay with a friend in London for the weekend.

When he didn’t return home, his disappearance was reported to police. Earlier this year, in June, Matthew was reportedly spotted on two occasions in an Auckland shopping centre.

The sightings were made by Sittingbourne expatriates living in New Zealand, but neither led to a positive identification.

Mrs Green said: “I don’t want to hear a call from someone saying, ‘I’ve been with Matthew, he’s fine’. It’s got to be Matt’s voice I hear now.

“His appearance might have changed, but his voice will be the same.”

The Greens were contacted by the charity, Missing People, to ask if they wanted to take part in the show.

It involves a police detective and is hosted by Natasha
Kaplinsky.

The presenter and camera crew visited the couple’s home on Thursday to carry out a series of interviews.

During the week-long schedule, filming also took place
at Rectory Road in Sittingbourne, where Matthew played football.

Mrs Green said she has endured many ”ups and downs” during the past three years, but insisted that countrywide exposure heralded a new chapter in the search for her son.

She said: “The national newspapers have not helped us in any way, so maybe one of them will give us coverage after the programme airs.

“We don’t want to drag Matthew home. He’s a 29-year-old man who can make his own decisions. We just want to know he’s OK.”