WHILE students are getting stressed about the cost of education, nobody could have imagined that Springfield's most famous slacker, Bart Simpson, would be going to the University of Teesside.

The voice behind the cheeky cartoon character is coming to Middlesbrough this week to talk to students and schoolchildren about chasing their dreams, as guest speaker at the annual animation festival, Animex.

Nancy Cartwright is the multi-talented, multi-voiced mother behind stars of cult television show The Simpsons, including Bart, Nelson Muntz and Ralph Wiggum.

"I am excited about the animation festival because they are great fun, so to come over here as a foreigner in this capacity makes me feel very special indeed," said Nancy.

"These kids are interested in doing the sort of thing I was when I was young, so I want to see if I can give them some advice.

"They have got to earn money to put a roof over their heads and food in their mouths - you have to do it for a long time, so it may as well be something you love."

She also lends her voice to other cartoon characters, such as Chuckie in the Rugrats, but it is the success of the Simpsons that has made her known around the world.

"People like it because everyone can find something in the show that they relate to," she said.