David Gandy picked up a paintbrush and showed off his decorating skills at a school in London, where he helped to transform a boring classroom into a haven for underprivileged kids.

And he might be the best-known male model in the world, but the 35-year-old revealed that he’d actually been discouraged from being ambitious as a child.

David explained: “Not just myself, but a lot of people were told, ‘You can’t do this, and you can’t do that. That’s not achievable.’”

Now he’s about to become an ambassador for the charity Achievement for All, aiming to give every child a “fair education”, Essex-born David is keen to make sure others have the encouragement he didn’t get at school.

And, apparently, this sometimes involves cracking open a few tins of paint.

The supermodel lent a hand in decorating a room at Maria Fidelis school in North London, creating, “a safe, secure, calm environment,” for disadvantaged and vulnerable students.

“It’s not pigeonholing those children,” he explained. “It’s taking those children aside and providing an environment where they have exactly the same advantages as all the other children. So it resonated with me.”

The classroom was completed by volunteers within 24 hours, as one of 24 community projects organised with Marks and Spencer as part of Spark Something Good.

David, who has his own underwear and nightwear range, is actually pretty familiar with interior design, having recently renovated his home in Fulham – though he admitted he was no expert, “with painting and decorating and everything else”.

But he seemed to pick up some skills, as he helped to paint walls and blackboards and tables in the classroom.