Scots actor David Tennant reveals what it's like home-schooling five children

Scottish actor David Tennant says home-schooling his children during lockdown has been a “challenge”.

The Bathgate-born performer, 49, has five children with his actress wife Georgia Moffett.

He told BBC Breakfast: “We’re lucky that we’ve got space, although we do have quite a lot of children so we have got quite a full house.”

The former Doctor Who star admitted: “Home-schooling was challenging.

Bathgate-born David Tennant, who has five children, has admitted home-schooling in lockdown has been a "challenge"

“Obviously my wife Georgia was ultimately in charge because she’s better at organising things than I am.

“But between us we’d wrestle one child into a corner.”

The actor, who is back in a new series of comedy-drama There She Goes, said: “You very quickly recognise the gaps in your own knowledge.

“It’s not, ‘How do I do long-division?’

“It’s, ‘How do they teach long-division now because it’s all changed?’”

Tennant added: “I’ve always respected teachers for what they do, but oh my goodness I’m very glad they exist.”

Mr Tennant, best known for his portrayal of the tenth incarnation of TV’s best-loved time lord, told his parents at the age of three that he wanted to become an actor because he was a fan of the show.

They tried encouraging him to aim for more conventional work he has described himself as “absurdly single-minded” in pursuing an acting career.

He watched almost every Doctor Who episode for years, and spoke to Tom Baker at a book-signing event in Glasgow.

He acted in school productions throughout primary and secondary school in Renfrewshire, where he grew up.

In his most recent role, Mr Tennant portrays a doctor suspected of murdering his family in Deadwater Fell, a Scottish true crime mini-series which premiered on Channel 4 in January.

Later this year he will play Scottish serial killer Dennis Nilsen in Des, a three-part mini-series due to be broadcast on ITV.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism.

Subscribe to the Edinburgh Evening News online and enjoy unlimited access to trusted, fact-checked news and sport from Edinburgh and the Lothians. Visit https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.

By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Joy Yates

Editorial Director