Johnny Depp asks Carol Vorderman for help in finding a school for his children

Having bought a home in Somerset, Johnny Depp is now looking for local schools to educate his children – and has turned to an excellent source for advice, brainbox Carol Vorderman.

He was introduced to the Countdown presenter by a mutual friend and explained he wants to send eight-year-old daughter Lily Rose and son Jack, six, to good schools close to the £1.3million house he is renovating near Bath.

"Johnny met Carol after he bought a home right by her own," says my source.

"They have met up a few times and their kids get along well. He is set on sending the children to British schools.

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"Carol's go to Clifton College in Bristol and Johnny may check it out."

Depp, 44, who has had a love affair with the UK since making the film Chocolat, bought an old hunting lodge near Carol's retreat, for which she paid £1million last year.

The Pirates Of The Caribbean star and his long-term partner Vanessa Paradis own a string of properties, including a 45-acre island in the Bahamas.

Depp donated £1million to the children's hospital as a thank you to staff who treated his daughter last year after she admitted when her kidneys failed.

Earlier this month he invited five Great Ormond Street doctors and nurses to the party for the London premiere of his film Sweeney Todd.

And on November 29, unknown to the public, Depp spent four hours at the hospital telling bedtime stories to patients dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow after having his Pirates Of The Caribbean costume flown over from Los Angeles.

In March last year, Lily-Rose spent nine days at Great Ormond Street after E.coli poisoning led to the failure of her kidneys.

She is said to have contracted the bug while staying with Depp, 43, and her mother Vanessa Paradis, 34, in a rented mansion in Richmond, Surrey, while he filmed Sweeney Todd.

Filming on Depp's latest film Sweeney Todd had to be halted as her conditioned worsened so much it was feared she might not live.

Depp, who was named best actor in a musical at the Golden Globes for his role in Sweeney Todd last weekend, later said of the scare: "It was the most frightening thing we have ever been through. It was hell.

"But the magic is that she pulled through beautifully. Great Ormond Street was terrific, a great hospital."