A Dundee boffin will mesmerise viewers across the UK tonight with his alchemy antics and startling science.
Chemistry teacher David Wharton will explain bizarre and terrifying experiments on the new show, Duck Quacks Don’t Echo.
“I love connecting people with science and I love getting other people excited about it,” said the Baldragon Academy teacher.
“Experiments like the ones we have conducted really get people’s imagination going,” he added.
The science whizz explained that he was approached for the show after many years doing experiments at the Dundee Science Festival and other similar events.
He said: “I always do local science festivals and the TV company called around looking for someone who could explain the science behind the experiments conducted in the show.
“They didn’t want a big name but they wanted someone who was confident about explaining the things that were going on.”
Filming for the Sky One show, which is presented by comedian Lee Mack, took place over the summer.
“We filmed for eight weeks in the summer 13 episodes all together,” he said. “It has been great fun and is a fantastic opportunity to bring science to a really wide audience.
“Everybody is interested in science but it is almost a different world when they see something it becomes more accessible,” he added.
The expert’s favourite moment was replicating a lightning strike on a car Lee Mack was in.
The chemistry genius encouraged the presenter to flamb comedy star Miranda Hart after she was covered in whipped cream, demonstrating how the dairy product is an excellent insulator.
However, Mr Wharton is less sure how his pupils will react to his new-found fame.
“The kids obviously know [about the TV show] and I think they are a bit bemused. We’ll have to see how they react, but kids will be kids,” he added.
The new show is on Sky One tonight.HOT STUFFPlay with fire and you will get burned but not with David Wharton, writes Andrew Liddle.
On the contrary, the Dundee science teacher prepared a flaming bonanza that didn’t scorch for a second.
The tale of Mr Wharton having Miranda Hart covered in whipped cream, before encouraging Lee Mack to flamb her with a blowtorch, did not fill me with confidence.
Forget fire if there’s one thing that will get you in trouble in a school, it is stripping off and covering yourself in whipped cream.
But I was fortunate, to an extent. The chemistry star had instead arranged for me to hold a flaming ball of natural gas bubbles, insisting that it would not burn.
So, with much trepidation, I donned a deerstalker I felt my already receding hairline could not take a scorching and held out my hands.
And Mr Wharton was, of course, right. While the gas bubbles flamed they did not burn and I walked away unscathed.
It was great fun, but not one to try at home.