Viewers praised Ben Bennett, 13, for his courage and humour as he opened up on This Morning about his ambitious plans - and he would park his caravan outside Downing Street should he land the top job
A TEENAGE Gypsy Kids star forced out of ELEVEN schools has revealed his ambitious plans to become Prime Minister.
Ben Bennett, 13, appeared on This Morning today and was praised by viewers for his humour and eloquence as he talked about the the backlash he'd experienced from pupils and teachers about his traveller heritage.
Sat beside his mum Natalie, home-schooled Ben said he and his sister had to leave their last school after they were attacked by a group of 16 lads.
In tonight's episode of Gypsy Kids: Our Secret World, he recalls: "I was walking to my English lesson, about 16 lads circled me and my sister and started hurling abuse at me, calling me gypo and pikey, and then he starts to attack me.
“I was thinking, here we go again.”
He told presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield how one of the bullies started trying to gouge his eye so he couldn’t be a pilot.
"They hit my hand and shattered my knuckle," Ben recalled.
Speaking about his experience in schools, Ben said: "One moment that stands out for me, I was 10. I was sent out of a classroom by a teacher because of my ethnicity.
"She said that the other pupils didn’t feel comfortable around me and she didn’t feel comfortable teaching someone of my ethnicity."
"There’s less backlash from the pupils. If it’s from the pupils, it’s what they’ve heard from their parents, they can’t come up with opinions like that themselves."
Despite his harrowing experience, Ben refuses to let the bullies get him down.
He said: "Every time someone is prejudiced towards me, or tries to bring me down for their own personal growth, I just think, 'If I change the way people think and change people’s opinions, and make it that nobody from any ethnicity has to go through what I go through… I’m getting by, and I’m getting my education either way.
"I would have preferred to stop at a school where I have a social experience and get to mix with other people."
Ben added: "I’ve been thinking about it, that I might want to become Prime Minister. I could make a change with the education system and make it a safer environment."
Asked by Phil if he'd live in 10 Downing Street, Ben joked: "I’d probably put my trailer on there."
Viewers were quick to praise Ben for his well-spoken, polite manner and positive attitude.
One tweeted: "Kudos to the kiddo on #ThisMorning Bright, well spoken, empathetic & funny. Be nice if the current PM had one or more of those qualities!"
Another wrote: "This boy is gonna go far in life, despite being bullied he's still so open minded and has such a positive out look on life #ThisMorning," while one commented: "This kid is so well spoken, polite and ambitious hope he does well for himself. It's kids like him that deserve opportunities #ThisMorning."
We previously told how a teen Romany gypsy on the show opened up about leaving school at 11 after being beaten up because of his background.
Gypsy Kids: Our Secret World airs tonight at 10pm on Channel 5.
