NORTH-EAST actor Robson Green has revealed for the first time that he suffers from dyslexia.

The star said he had lost roles in the past because of the reading disability, which went undiagnosed at school.

Robson confessed to being envious of their five-year-old son Taylor's ability to read.

In his latest role, he plays a dyslexic rocket enthusiast in the BBC1 series Rocket Man, to be screened later this month.

He said: "The guy I play, George Stevenson, is dyslexic and that came from me. I talked to the series creator Alison Hume about it.

"I can't read easily. If I'm at an audition and they go 'Right. Could you read that?'. I go 'No, you have to give me half an hour'.

"I just go off on my own, take my time, then I come back and I know it."

Robson, 40, said there was no understanding of dyslexia when he was a pupil at Seaton Burn High School.

He said: "We filmed Wire in the Blood there earlier this year and there was a teacher, who shall remain nameless, and who, when I said I'd like to be a performer or an actor said 'Don't be ridiculous Green . . . you're a clown. You'll always remain a clown.'

"He was still there when I pulled up, so that was good!"