A FORMER Bolton woman is swapping the classroom for a radio studio on Bank Holiday Monday as she presents a live, hour-long show on Planet Rock.

Eileen May (formerly Broughton), who is a former student at Mount St Joseph's, was selected from hundreds of applicants to present the 60-minute slot as part of the station’s DIY bank holiday show.

“I had to send in my pick of 20 rock tracks,” Eileen said.

“The station must have liked my choices because they picked me out of hundreds who applied.”

Eileen, originally from Halliwell, now lives in Surrey and teaches science in a secondary school.

She has recently returned to teaching after a five-year career break when she became a purser for the airline BMI, based at Heathrow Airport.

Planet Rock is a digital radio station which specialises in rock music and boasts Alice Cooper and Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott among its presenters.

“I’m excited to be able to sit alongside such rock greats,” she said.

Citing Led Zeppelin as her favourite band, she said she had a close encounter with another rock legend when she attended a concert by The Ian Gillan Band when she was a teenager.

“It was a great show. And Ian Gillan gestured to me from the stage.

“My boyfriend put his arm around me to say ‘she’s with me’, I was gobsmacked.”

Eileen will be presenting the show from Planet Rock’s new studios in central London, and not only will she be able to play her favourite tracks, she will be presenting the show too — despite the fact that she has never presented a radio show before.

“I’ll get 30 minutes before the show to run through everything with the presenter who will be sitting with me (Wyatt Wendle), so I’m in good hands.”

Led Zeppelin features in her choice of tracks, and she’ll be playing When The Levee Breaks, as well as tracks by Joe Bonnamassa, Rush, Deep Purple and The Who.

“I’m looking forward to it very much,” she said.

“It’ll be a bit daunting but I feel very privileged to get this opportunity to play all my favourite tracks.” Eileen’s slot will be from 11am to midday on Monday morning.