Reality TV star Joey Essex brought some his Essex sparkle to some special students at a Cumbrian school.

The Only Way Is Essex star was at Ullswater Community College in Penrith to present awards at its annual prize giving ceremony.

He said: "I'm here to inspire the students and to tell them a little about myself and my school days.

Joey has appeared on TV since 2010. After becoming a household name in The Only Way Is Essex, Joey has gone on to appear in I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, The Jump, and most recently The Crystal Maze.

He said: "I arrived in Penrith yesterday and had a chance to look around. It's lovely. So quiet and peaceful - not like where I'm from.

"This school is amazing. I am so impressed. The facilities are great - you've got your own skate park. I am so aghast at that."

Joey walked onto stage to cheers and screams from the exited audience, made up of pupils, staff, teachers, parents and sponsors.

He said: "My own school days weren't great. I found it hard. I was always told to be the best you can be and I really tried."

Joey went to school in Bermondsey, south London before moving to Essex aged eight.

He said: "School was quite a struggle. I did an extra year. I wasn't the cleverest kid but I was an honest person."

Four pupils got the chance to ask Joey - who has 3.5m twitter followers - a question.

One of them asked what was the worst thing he had to eat or drink while he was on the TV show I'm A Celebrity....., he said: "I ate a scorpion which sounds awful but it tasted a bit like marmite.

"The worst thing I've ever eaten was a turkey testical and I had to have a cockroach smoothie as well."

He told the school that he used to work at Billingsgate fish market in east London.

"The best thing they ever did was to sack me. It stunk. I hated it. My dad still goes down there today and thanks them for giving me the boot.

"After that I tried to be a stockbroker three times at three different firms but it didn't work out."

Joey made the trip up north with his life long friend Jake Taylor.

They watched performances of dance, drama, gymnastics, music and cheerleading.

Nick Ellery, headteacher at Ullswater Community College, said: "The students have been very excited about Joey coming.

"We are lucky to have him. It's a real coup.

Friends Ellen Young, 17, and Jessica Louis, 17, were very happy to see the TV star at their school.

Ellen said: "It's amazing."

Jessica said: "It's great that he's come to help celebrate our achievements."