CLASS act

JON RICHARDSON on fulfilling a childhood ambition with his new TV role

- WORDS: VICTORIA WILSON. PHOTOS: BBC, SHUTTERSTOCK

Jon Richardson left many people stumped earlier this year when he announced he was quitting comedy to become a teacher. While it turned out to be an April Fool's Day joke, there was an element of truth, too, as the Meet the Richardsons star had landed a role in BBC1's popular school-set drama Waterloo Road.

I'd mentioned to producers that I'd found a genuine old diary entry from 1997 where I'd written, “I'd love to be a comedian, but I'll probably end up being a teacher,” and that’s how the prank video came about,' explains Jon, who turns 43 on 26 September and makes his debut this week as media-studies teacher Darius Donovan when the gates open for an eight-episode 16th series. Here, Jon tells TV Times about heading back to the classroom...

How did you feel about joining such an established show?