A former school teacher from Hackney, who made national headlines when pupils discovered he was moonlighting as a stripper and porn star, is now set for another taste of fame as a Big Brother contestant.

Hackney resident Benedict Garrett was suspended from his teaching job in Redbridge after bosses became aware students had watched him online appearing in a trailer for an adult film in June 2010, under his alias “Johnny Anglais”.

Benedict had started work at Beal High School in January 2008 as head of the personal, social, and health education (PSHE) department.

The 32-year-old, who is now appearing on Channel 5’s reality show Big Brother, along with 15 other contestants, lives with his 18-year-old foster son – his former student.

Last September, Benedict told the Gazette he had rescued the boy, who was 17 at the time, from an Islamic school in India after the teenager contacted him for help, saying he had been sent there from the UK against his wishes.

Benedict said he paid for the boy’s ticket home, and was subsequently cleared by Hackney social services to look after him.

Benedict told Big Brother viewers his personality sometimes rubs people up the wrong way.

“I think sometimes I get accused of being condescending to some people – patronizing,” he said. “That might come from the fact I used to be a teacher.

“I have quite strong opinions and I think people sometimes find that quite difficult to deal with.”

Benedict won the right to continue teaching at a hearing last September but was handed a reprimand by the General Teaching Council after being found guilty of unacceptable professional misconduct.