SPORTS journalist Jonny Saunders spent five years working alongside one of Britain’s most popular radio presenters in Chris Evans.

But when the chance to teach came along Mr Saunders resigned from his high profile role as on-air sparring partner for the Radio 2 DJ and is now teaching at St Edward’s School, in Oxford.

The 37-year-old father-of-two left the radio show in July last year and in September joined the private school off Woodstock Road.

Former pupils at St Edward’s include flying ace Douglas Bader, actor Laurence Olivier and Holly Branson, daughter of Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson.

Now that Mr Saunders is coming to the end of his first year as a teacher, he has no regrets about taking a pay cut to switch from the radio studio to the classroom.

He said: “There are many people who have been unable to get their heads around the fact that I chose to leave my seemingly glamorous broadcasting roles so that I could talk to a bunch of teenagers about Shakespearean sonnets.

“Last month Chris was pulling in 9.23 million listeners, making the Breakfast Show the most popular in Europe.

“It was my job to read the sports news and act as Chris’s on-air sparring partner.

“People enjoyed the banter as well as our weekly challenges, in which we took on each other at various sports.

“The real reason I left the BBC was a very simple one – I wanted to be an English teacher and, pious as it might sound, I wanted to make a difference to others.”

After graduating with a literature degree from Durham University in 1997, Mr Saunders worked for 5 Live as a sports presenter from 1999 to 2006 when he switched to Radio 2 and teamed up with Mr Evans on his drive-time show.

The teacher recently completed a second literature degree through the Open University which cost him about £3,000.

He added: “I got on brilliantly with Chris. When I told him that I was leaving to become a teacher his reaction was magnificent.”

Mr Saunders lives with wife Kate, 37, and their children Harry, seven, and Charlotte, four, near Newbury.

He said the phone call in which he was offered the teaching job was “one of the most thrilling” he had ever received.

He added: “The marking is never-ending, but the thrill of trying to inspire the pupils is very special.”

One of Mr Saunders’ pupils, Henry Dardis, 17, from Moreton-in-Marsh, said: “I wouldn’t go as far as saying Mr Saunders is a celebrity but his background is more glamorous than most teachers.”

Fellow pupil Freddie Atkin0son, 17, of Waterperry, near Thame, added: “I’m not a fan of Chris Evans, but it’s quite cool that Mr Saunders worked with him. I find him a good teacher.”