He’s no longer on Britain’s Got Talent but former judge David Walliams had a school buzzing with delight with a surprise appearance last week.

The Little Britain star and best-selling children’s author spoke to South Farnham Junior school pupils and staff ahead of last Friday’s show at the Maltings.

Walliams gave chapter and verse about his love of writing during a 50-minute appearance which captivated a crowd of nearly 600 people.

It was arranged through a parent who is friends with the personality, with headteacher Esther Franks calling the event a “once in a lifetime opportunity” for pupils.

She said: “We had an impromptu phone call on Tuesday saying would you like him to visit and of course we said yes.

“He did an entertaining talk about how he got into writing, he talked about the inspiration for some of his books, and then did a Q&A session.

“Some of the children prepared questions for him and asked things like ‘what’s next for you’ and ‘what book inspired you when you were young,’ which we thought was a good one.”

The headteacher added: “The children absolutely loved it and he was really inspirational.

“He got everyone’s attention very quickly and kept it. It’s unusual to have someone in who is popular with every single child, but everyone loved him.”

The school later described the author’s visit as a “truly memorable experience” with Walliams talking passionately about his journey and a writer.

His appearance also prompted lively discussions and insightful questions which “truly impressed” David and had teachers bursting with pride.

Mrs Franks added: “We hope it has further ignited their love for reading and writing, but we’ve also got to thank David so much for taking the time to visit and inspire the next generation of readers and writers.”