One of the most high profile TV dramas in recent years will feature a young actor from south Essex.

The first episode of controversial teen show Skins was shown on E4 last night and 22-year-old Miriam Ahmed, from Thorpe Bay, will make her entrance later in the series.

The show, from the creators of Shameless, focuses on the lives of a group of teenagers in Bristol and Miriam was picked to play the older sister of one of the main characters.

It features Nicholas Hoult, who was only a youngster when he starred alongside Hugh Grant in the film About A Boy, in his first major TV role.

Miriam, who attended Sacred Heart Primary School and later St Hilda's in Westcliff, said she had no idea how big Skins was going to be.

She said: "My agent, Sandra Singer, put me up for it and I went along to the auditions in September last year.

"I got some really good feedback from the director, Adam Smith, who said what I did was really cool.

"Filming started the week after and I was rushed down to Bristol for it.

"It lasted about two and a half weeks and was a really good experience. While I was there, I formed quite a close bond with Nina Wadia from Goodness Gracious Me who plays my mother in the show."

Miriam plays a character called Yazu who is the sister of Anwa.

She said the role was an interesting one to play and was a big step for her career.

"For me, it is particularly exciting because it is one of the first auditions I went to," she said.

"I have always been into presenting, whether it was a home video or something at school and acting was a logical step.

"Filming was a lot of hard work, but really fun and I got to meet a lot of great people."

E4 has launched an extensive advertising campaign to promote the show, which depicts a group of teenagers who delight in drinking, taking drugs and promiscuity.

It has attracted controversy for its graphic content, but has also been praised by critics.