PUPILS at Prestwick Academy were surprised when Gareth Gates rocked up at their school recently.

The pop star visited the school last Thursday, April 28, fresh from his performance in Ayr Town Hall the previous night, following the entrepreneurial assembly that took place at Prestwick Academy the week before.

Third year pupils had received talks from three successful business entrepreneurs who talked about their careers and the steps they took to get there.

But Gareth's visit took him to the recording studio by music technology students, an S1 class during their guitar lesson and he met some of the cast from the forthcoming school show - Prestwick Will Rock You.

He signed autographs, posed for photographs and even took part in a music lesson.

The 31-year-old was the runner-up in the first series of the ITV 'talent show' Pop Idol and has sold over 3.5 million records in the UK since.

In 2009, Gareth moved into musical theatre, playing the title role in the West End production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat at the Adelphi Theatre. 

He has also played the roles of Marius in Les Misérables and has tackled the roles of Eddie in the musical Loserville, Warner in Legally Blonde and Dean in Boogie Nights the Musical in Concert in 2013.

Gareth spoke to aspiring singers and actors at Prestwick about their upcoming performance in June and gave them some hot tips for the night.

We Will Rock You will be staged in the school on Monday, June 6, Wednesday, June 8 and Thursday, June 9. Tickets are priced £5.50 for children and £7.50 for adults will be available from school office from May 9.