Former CBBC star with famous wife quits TV career for normal job two decades on from finding fame

MICHAEL Underwood has officially turned his back on fame and is now loving life away from the spotlight in a totally different career.

The star rose to fame on CBBC in the late 90s as a kids TV host and was one of the most recognisable stars on the channel.

He even found love with his co-star Angellica Bell as they turned their on-screen presenting work for the channel into a real-life off-screen love story.

But whilst his wife Angellica is still enjoying her time on TV - he has swapped the TV studio for the classroom and couldn't be happier.

In an exclusive interview with The Sun, Angellica opened up on how her husband was finding new fulfilment as a teacher after being left out of TV work when the Covid pandemic hit.

She told us: "It's funny. He couldn't get any work. He had a teaching degree. He was like, 'I can't sit around' so he started teaching.

"It's been amazing. It was hard at first because he really wanted to do TV and had no control over that.

"But he loves it now. His students are like his extended children. They are blessed to have him. He thinks of creative ways to teach, to keep them engaged.

"He's even got some parents now going, 'Oh my gosh, I used to watch you on Jungle Run'.

"He's now teaching their children. He's like, 'oh my gosh, this is great'."

The star admitted that at the beginning of her romance, it was her hubby Michael who was more excited by the prospect of TV jobs whilst she took a more backseat approach.

Looking back on the start of their careers, she added: "It's funny. Michael loved TV. We met on CBBC. I was a bit more laissez-faire about TV.

"He really wanted to do it. He had a teaching degree before. He did lots of CBBC. Then he went to do CITV, Jungle Run. He loved it.

"Then he did shows on ITV and Good Morning Britain. He was the Entertainment Reporter."

Tellingly, Angellica went on to add that we may see Michael back on screens soon, as she teased: "He's had a few offers and stuff. And we have been approached to do some bits."

Michael has been teaching for over five years at Surbiton High Boy’s Prep School in south-west London, teaching Year 4, who are eight and nine years old.

Luckily he was already a trained teacher as he did a four-year BEd teaching degree before landing his big break on television - on the advice of his mum.

Michael previously explained: "It was my mum who actually said: 'Why don’t you think of doing drama as a teaching degree, specialise in that and you’ve got something to fall back on if the acting doesn’t work out.'"

Angellica was speaking to The Sun as part of Currys' campaign to save Black Friday by committing to their new minimum standard where no deal has been cheaper in the last six months, encouraging other retailers to follow suit.