SOAP star Chris Fountain has delighted young fans at an education roadshow in Huddersfield.

The Hollyoaks hunk visited Leeds Road Sports Complex to promote new ‘diploma’ qualifications to Year 9 pupils.

Excited youngsters from 30 schools in Calderdale and Huddersfield were at the event to meet 21-year-old Chris, who plays Justin Burton in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks and won a legion of fans as a finalist on ITV’s Dancing On Ice last year.

And he revealed – he’s a Town fan.

The roadshow was part of a national tour and was hosted in Huddersfield by Kirklees Council and Kirklees Collegiates.

The aim was to promote diplomas, which are a new qualification for 14 to 19-year-olds, combining learning in the classroom with practical experience.

They come in three levels – foundation, higher and advanced – and GCSEs and A levels can be taken as part of a diploma course.

Diplomas in Society, Health and Development and Creative and Media were introduced in Kirklees last September.

From September this year, pupils will also be able to choose diplomas in Construction and the Built Environment; Information Technology; Business, Administration and Finance; Engineering and Hair and Beauty.

By 2011, 17 types of diploma will be on offer to pupils all over England.

At the roadshow, inflatable ‘pods’ were set up. Some contained DVDs pupils could watch about the different diplomas, while some had advisers on hand to answer questions. There were also interactive touch-screens, where pupils could learn more about the qualifications and take a fun quiz.

Chris, who is from Bradford, got on board with the roadshow because Hollyoaks is keen for its young stars to promote education initiatives.

He said he would have liked the option of studying in a more practical way at school.

“Personally, I think doing practical things is more enjoyable. I am rubbish at exams and sitting still in a classroom. A diploma would have worked for me. I need to be doing something for things to sink in.

“I took that approach with Dancing On Ice, we had to learn a lot of new skills for that. But it was practical and really good fun.”

Although his job was to promote the roadshow, Chris admits he had another motive for visiting Huddersfield – he is a big fan of Huddersfield Town.

He said: “It was quite exciting coming to Leeds Road where Town used to play because I’m a fan. My whole family are, except my grandad who for some reasons supports Leeds.”

When Huddersfield Town played at the Leeds Road ground, Chris’s family owned the Waggon and Horses pub, which is now Ricky’s.

Having completed a Dancing On Ice live tour last year, Chris is back on our screens in Hollyoaks and says he hopes to stay with the soap.

“I am contracted until April and I’m committed to it and happy where I am. But who knows what they have got planned for me, you never know for sure.”

To find out more about diplomas, visit www.direct.gov.uk/diplomas.