FOR years this Coleg Gwent music teacher has wanted to follow in the footsteps of magician Derren Brown.

Now James Went has been snapped up by the talent agency that looks after the star, and is set to appear in a new magic show on national TV.

Mr Went, who juggles teaching music and music technology at the Crosskeys campus with being a professional magician, is one of the cast of CBBC’s Help! My Supply Teacher is Magic’, which starts on January 17.

The 30-year-old, who grew up in Georgetown, Tredegar, went to university at the Paul McCartney-backed Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts and played in rock band Ten Men Wide between 2001 and 2005.

But six years ago Mr Went began to train himself to become a magician – with his interest sparked by the work of Derren Brown.

“He’s a fantastic performer, he’s completely captivating,” he said, saying he became hooked on the idea of being able to read someone’s mind MrWent, who has taught at Crosskeys college for five years, began to hone his technique – rather than learning one way of doing a trick, he would try several until he found the variation right for him.

His study has led him to starring in 14 magic DVDs, filming 50 Greatest Magic Tricks for Channel 5 and eventually being cast in the CBBC show.

The programme features magicians going into school classrooms undercover as supply teachers.

MrWent said: “Some hidden camera shows are quite cruel – what’s good about ours is that the kids are so excited when the magic starts happening, they go absolutely nuts!

“I’m so grateful to the production company for taking me on and changing my life in the last year.”