Translators are hoping Geordie Cheryl Cole’s move to the United States could create a boom in business.
Former English teacher Paul Davy has just bagged a job as a Geordie translator – after spending years deciphering the regional lingo for his Chilean wife.
His bosses think the X Factor star’s move stateside could spark a surge in interest in the north east and its history, business and speech.
This would mean more work for Paul, who was taken on after a London-based company launched a nationwide hunt for applicants.
Paul, who grew up in Fenham, Newcastle, but now lives in London with his wife Alejandra, beat 180 hopefuls to land the job.
He said: “When I was first married Alejandra had problems with the way I spoke – not so much the accent as the colloquial forms and the speed at which north easterners talk.
“She speaks good English but the Geordie twang was just too much for her. It was even worse when she met my parents. She could not understand a word my dad said and so I had to translate for her.
“She saw the job advertised and suggested I go for it after all the help I’d given to her.”
The former civil servant said he’d had to learn to talk more slowly when he moved south – just like Cheryl.
He said: “I think Cheryl’s accent has changed a lot since she left Newcastle. It’s become softer; she’s definitely worked on it. If she breaks the States she’ll be the most famous Geordie in the world.”
