A SCIENCE teacher from Okehampton College had the chance to show the nation her natural navigational skills on Channel 4 earlier this week.

Adele Burkinshaw, 26, applied to appear on the new series The Hidden Talent Show, hosted by Richard Bacon, on Tuesday May 19.

The programme aims to unveil the hidden physical, mental, sensory or creative skills that people have and of which they were never aware.

Adele was one of 500 people to take two cutting-edge tests overseen by neuroscientist Dr Hugo Spiers to test their natural aptitude for navigation.

The tests revealed ten candidates who had no idea they had a natural talent for navigation. Adele turned out to be the outstanding candidate.

She said: 'I went to a testing day in Birmingham just to see if I had a talent I hadn't yet discovered, as I take part in many hobbies and am always looking for something new.

'It was great to push myself and find out how good I could be when I tried. I tried too hard in one of the tests, and tried to use a methodical process to complete it rather than instinct. I didn't do as well as I had hoped and felt very frustrated, but the rest were excellent, and I was very proud of how well I did.

'I used to get lost, but discovered this was because I was often relying on satellite navigation or not paying enough attention to my surroundings.'

Adele's childhood dream was to be an RAF pilot, but her arms were too short. She re-applied to become a navigator, but again was denied on the same grounds. Her hidden talents revealed on the show showed she may have been ideal for the job.

She said: 'I had always dreamed of being in the RAF and used to be in Air Cadets and had flying scholarship when I was younger through the cadets. I was devastated when I failed the medical.'

The challenges she had to take to prove her navigational skills included memorising and navigating her way through the mazy streets of Soho, and between two points eleven kilometres apart in North Wales, across rough terrain and in unpredictable weather with only her instincts to guide her.

Adele's first appearance on the show is still available to watch online via the Channel 4 OD catch-up service. She will be on the show again on Tuesday May 29 with students from Okehampton College, covering their Ten Tors training and their navigational skills.