Students at St Bees School are about to discover international fame as they make their television debut to an expected audience of over 100 million Chinese viewers. 

Using their newfound Mandarin skills, 15 St Bees students will be seen and heard across China in a series of television adverts for China’s largest and most watched TV talent show – The Star of Outlook.

Roger Sinnett, head teacher at St Bees School, spent part of the summer in China, near Beijing, as a judge on The Star of Outlook.  The TV show follows the journey of an initial 50 million ambitious Chinese students being whittled down to a mere 50 to take part in the finals.  Ultimately these stage winners were then judged and further narrowed down by Mr Sinnett and others until an overall winner was found.

The Star of Outlook is, however, no ordinary talent show.  Imagine ‘The Voice’ meets a traditional American Spelling Bee (sort of). 

Contestants, who range in age from nine to 25, compete in what can only be described as ‘give them a really hard, controversial topic and they have to debate it’ - in English! 

These topics are deep – and the young people master them – and English isn’t even their first language.

Mr Sinnett describes judging as ‘more than a bit intense’. Filming started at 9:30 each morning and continued until at least 3am the following day.  A quick power nap and the process continued for nine days straight. 

Mr Sinnett added: “Each contestant blew me out the water.  Their maturity, grasp of a difficult concept and confidence in conveying what they wanted to say was absolutely unbelievable.  This is exactly what we do with our students here at St Bees.  We develop their character.  We make them able to debate.  To be confident in presentations, public speaking and in holding their own.  If they had been on the show, each and every student here at St Bees would be in that final 50.”

However, St Bees students cannot take part as it is only open to Chinese nationals, but they can be the voice of St Bees in China.