A TEESSIDER has been announced as the North-East regional winner of the Sound Barrier Star Awards for overcoming his disability.

Scott Garthwaite, 33, a trained chef and TV presenter from Hartlepool who now lives in Billingham, was given with the award by Specsavers Hearing Centres for his determination to succeed as a chef despite being deaf.

The father-of-one who lives with his fiancée and 11-month-old son in Billingham was born profoundly deaf and inspired the judges with his ambition and work with deaf students at Newcastle College.

Scott has also signed up to present a new TV cooking show, Punk Chef, created to help deaf people improve their culinary skills.

Inspired to follow his love for cooking, Scott graduated with a 2:1 honours degree in Culinary and Patisserie at Newcastle College.

As well as being a qualified chef, Scott attends the Accessibility Event at Newcastle College where he mentors other deaf students.

He was honoured by the judges after colleagues nominated him for the national competition run by Specsavers Hearing Centres.

Scott said: “I had no idea the team at Newcastle College had even nominated me for Specsavers’ Sounds Barrier Star Awards. I was so shocked to find out I’d been chosen as the regional winner.

“I hope through this award and my work I can help others to see that it’s not always easy being deaf and it should never stand in the way of you achieving your goals in life.”