A Monifieth teacher is top of the class and the pops after winning a national radio competition for his pupils.
Colin Kerr, a physics teacher at Monifieth High School, will take his registration class to London for the Radio One Teen Awards next month after a gruelling head-to-head quiz on the station’s flagship Chris Moyles Breakfast Show.
The 26-year-old, who has only been at the school for six weeks, successfully answered 12 questions on pop star Pixie Lott before overcoming his opponent, a teacher based at a school in England, in a tiebreak to claim the trip for class 3D.
Taking place at Wembley Arena on October 9, Mr Kerr’s pop knowledge means that he and his pupils will be rubbing shoulders at the awards with some of the biggest names in music today, including Jason Derulo, Cher Lloyd, Ed Sheeran and Pixie Lott herself.
Speaking to The Courier just moments after his success, Mr Kerr said: “I was pretty nervous. I don’t really get nervous but when you’re doing it for other people and in front of millions on the radio it’s a bit different.
“I wasn’t able to look at any of the pupils when the questions were being asked as I could have had points taken off if they had helped.
“But they went crazy when I was told that I had won. It was absolutely brilliant.”
Mr Kerr, who lives in Dundee and spent his probationary period at Craigie High School, was close to his opponent in a tense tiebreak when asked to guess the beats per minute of a randomly selected song.
Cheers could be heard from Mr Kerr and his pupils after the closely-fought contest in which his opponent, a Mrs Turner, had answered 12 questions on former X Factor contestant Cher Lloyd.
Mr Kerr was given just 40 minutes’ preparation time to research the life and work of Pixie Lott only failing to correctly answer two questions within the 60-second time limit.
A big music fan, the teacher admits he is excited about the forthcoming trip.
“A couple of pupils asked me to do it so I thought I might as well and see what happens,” he said. “I didn’t expect much but I got a message on my phone saying that they had liked my application.
“I didn’t know too much about the awards before some of the pupils brought it to my attention but I’m looking forward to seeing everyone really.
“I’m a musician myself. I like to do a bit of writing, so folk like Ed Sheeran will be good to see. It will be inspiring.”Mr Kerr’s appearance can be heard again at www.bbc.co.uk