TO MILLIONS of young TV fans he was Byker Grove's avuncular youth leader Geoff Keegan, and clubland knew him as comedian Little Billy Fane.

But these days he has reverted to his real name, Malcolm Collins, and has largely left the showbiz world behind to help young offenders escape crime through education.

Malcolm appeared in 12 series of the popular BBC TV children's soap chronicling life in a Tyneside youth club and also had parts in the films Billy Elliot and Purely Belter.

But he slipped out of the limelight after his character, a fixture in Byker Grove since it started in 1989, died in an explosion about three years ago.

His new role is different. The 54-year-old, who lives in Northumberland, is special needs education co-ordinator for New College Durham and works with inmates at Castington Young Offenders Institution.

And while his former Byker Grove co-stars Ant and Dec have found greater fame and fortune on the small screen, he is thoroughly enjoying his work.

He said: "It would be fair to say I have retired from entertainment and I am not really looking for any job. I'm focused on what I'm doing for New College Durham and Castington.

"There are a lot of transferable skills between entertainment and teaching - you develop communication skills to grab people's attention."

Malcolm left school with no qualifications and worked as Little Billy Fane for more than 20 years, as well as writing scripts.

He has since made up for lost time and is working on his master's degree in special needs education at Hull University.

He added: "Most of the lads I work with are just ordinary lads who went in the wrong direction.

"Most of them do remember us, and when new lads come in they say 'Aren't you him off that programme', and when I say yes they say 'no you're not.'

He was recently given a lifelong learning award that give him a 'bigger thrill' than the Bafta he got for a Byker Grove episode.

"I was written off at school as a thick lad and I feel that's what has drawn me back into education."

But showbiz has not been totally left behind as he recently worked on a film called Cloud Cuckoo Land, about a boy with cerebral palsy who wants to fly, which will be shown at the Cannes Film Festival next year.