INTERVIEW: Sue Allen talks to the man who plummeted to fame

One of this country's most famous Olympic athletes, Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards, is about to throw himself into a new role when he starts his fledgling legal career later this month.

As competitors gather for the Olympic Games in Sydney, Mr Edwards, who plummeted to fame as Britain's first, and only, ski jumper in the 1988 Calgary winter olympics - where he came 58th out of 58 - is going to Leicester to study law at De Montfort University.

He says his interest in law was kindled after being drawn into legal proceedings against his trustees in 1991, after he was declared bankrupt.

Since then, he had taken a foundation course in social science and an A-level in law.

'The more I study law and read about it, the more fascinated I become by it,' he says.

Despite admitting that he was not a natural skier, Mr Edwards says he became obsessed with the sport after a school skiing trip when he was 13.

Before turning to ski jumping, Mr Edwards competed for Britain in downhill slalom racing, coming fourth in the European finals in Switzerland and third in international speed skiing in Italy.

His move to ski jumping came when he was training in the US because he could no longer afford the cost of racing.

He says that after his appearance in the Olympics, people in 'officialdom' were furious because he got more attention than the winner.

He was 'gutted' when they accused him of bringing ski jumping into disrepute and acting like a 'clown' during the Olympics, he insists, because he had battled so hard to get there.

He says he had worked for years in ski resorts picking up work as a waiter, clearing snow, babysitting, even sleeping in his car and a cowshed, so that he could save money to train.Subsequent rule changes mean that dedicated amateurs like Mr Edwards are effectively banned from competing these days.

He says the changes have also stopped countries like Hungary, Bulgaria and Holland - which only produce occasional jumpers - from competing in the event.

Since his days as an Olympic hopeful, Mr Edwards has made a living on the after-dinner speech circuit, advertisements and endorsements, opening events and numerous radio and TV appearances, as well as charity work.

He currently hosts a request show on Radio Gloucestershire.

He says there are also plans to make a film of his life.

Although not finalised, he says it is now unlikely to be made by Disney because they wanted it to be a US film with a US star.

He says he wants it to be a British film; Ewan McGregor and Sean Bean have been touted as possibles to play him.

Although he has a comfortable life, he says he 'can't be Eddie the Eagle for ever' - another reason he has opted to join the legal profession.

Although he says he has no firm plans about what he will do when he qualifies, at the moment he is interested in criminal law and is looking for some work experience with the Crown Prosecution Service.