Educating Yorkshire star 'Mushy' 'forever grateful' after graduating

Musharaf Asghar graduated with a degree in Broadcast Journalism

A star of the Educating Yorkshire TV show has said he is "forever grateful" to his school teachers after graduating from university.

Musharaf Asghar, known as Mushy, was seen on the Channel 4 series working to overcome his stammer in 2013.

The 25-year-old has now graduated from Huddersfield University with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.

Mr Asghar said he was proof teachers could "change lives" and he now hoped to become a sports journalist.

When he was five years old, he developed a severe stammer following an asthma attack.

It meant he struggled as a pupil at Thornhill Community Academy in Dewsbury until one of his teachers, Matthew Burton, was inspired to help him after watching The King's Speech.

Mr Burton suggested his student read while listening to music through headphones.

It was the technique used by the King George VI's speech therapist Lionel Logue as shown in the film.

"My teacher said 'let's give it a shot'," Mr Asghar said.

It worked and viewers saw him get through his English GCSE oral exam and deliver an end-of-term speech in a school assembly.

Musharaf Asghar has given speeches to help inspire others to overcome their difficulties

After the programme was broadcast, Mr Asghar went on to deliver speeches in schools across the UK to help inspire other children to "overcome their challenges".

He then secured a place at Huddersfield University and, reflecting on the help he had received from Mr Burton, he said the "impact of a teacher can change lives".

"From sitting in the classroom and contemplating if life would ever accept me for having a stammer, to going to university and graduating.

"I can't sum up in words how proud I am and how much my teachers changed my life.

"You can truly achieve anything you put your mind to."

He said he had found university a challenge and the modules in which he had to speak had been "quite tough".

"Learning to talk in front of a camera and doing pieces for radio was a lot harder than I thought," he said.