‘The phone stopped ringing… it’s not a nice place to be in’: CBBC star Michael Underwood, 45, reveals he’s now a primary school teacher after his 20 year TV career ‘just dried up’
- The star was once the primetime face of children’s TV, hosting CBBC and CITV, but said he had to change his career to teaching after work dried up
- He said: ‘The phone stopped ringing, it’s just not a nice place to be in’
- Michael’s TV career spanned from 1999 to 2020 when he made the move
Kid’s TV presenter Michael Underwood has revealed he is now a primary school teacher after the ‘phone stopped ringing’ for jobs on the small screen.
The 45-year-old was once the primetime face of children’s TV, hosting CBBC and CITV, but said he had to change his career to teaching after work dried up.
He said: ‘The phone stopped ringing, it’s just not a nice place to be in.’
His work included starring alongside Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern on Ministry Of Mayhem among other shows, yet his career took a wholly different path to the megastars as he turned to teaching.
Children’s presenter: Michael Underwood has revealed he has now a primary school teacher after the ‘phone stopped ringing’ for jobs on the small screen
Michael, who has been married to Angelica Bell for more than 10 years, told The Mirror about his career change and what led him to teaching.
Describing the move, he said: ‘I needed to make a decision, I thought you know what I’ve got my teaching degree, I’ve got 20 years in broadcasting behind me, maybe I can take that skill set and put it to good use.
‘Help build children’s confidence, help them with their oracy, their presenting skills, that’s when I thought: “Yeah, let’s grab the bull by the horns and maybe take a step out into a different career”.’
Following his stint on children’s TV, Michael was an entertainment correspondent on GMTV from 2003 to 2008.
Throwback: The 45-year-old was once the primetime face of children’s tv but said he had to change his career to teaching after work dried up (pictured with Sophie McDonnell in 2002)
He then competed in the 2008 series of Dancing on Ice, partnered by professional skater Melanie Lambert.
However, he pulled out of the series following a broken ankle in the run-up to the third show. They took part in the show the following year for the fourth series.
Michael said he is really enjoying his change of career and said it is ‘almost like being a presenter’.
‘The phone stopped ringing’: Michael, who has been married to Angelica Bell for more than 10 years, said: ‘The phone stopped ringing, it’s just not a nice place to be in’
Tough: Michael added it had been ‘incredibly challenging’ teaching remotely during lockdown and had to think of new ways to keep his Year 4 class engaged
He added it has been ‘incredibly challenging’ teaching remotely during lockdown and has had to think of new ways to keep his Year 4 class engaged.
Michael said he never grew up wanting to be a television presenter and had actually done a four-year BEd teaching degree at university.
It was by chance he landed a TV job after a pal ripped off a tv advertisement from the BBC in the newspaper asking for people to send in audition tapes to be a children’s presenter.
Michael does the odd job now and then for This Morning but says he is happy with teaching and has been at a school in Surbiton for the past three years.
TV stars: Michael pictured here with a young Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern in 2004