In August 2021 I spent three weeks filming 'Class Dismissed' for CBBC. It is a comedy series set in a high school where I played the role of Oli, a bit of a cheeky new Year 7 kid who is obsessed with sweets! I had a great time.

The audition process involved three rounds which started in May. The first was a self tape (a recording of you reading the lines and being filmed). The second round was a 1:1 :meeting with the casting director and producer over Zoom. Finally, the third round was another Zoom meeting with the director, producer and all the other children who made it to the third round. They wanted to see how we interacted and worked with each other.

I was told that 1,260 children auditioned for the ten lead roles, who were known as “hero kids” for some reason. I felt very lucky to get the part!  The other children were really nice, and although they live all over the country (Gloucester, Hampshire and North Wales), I am still great friends with them.  

About 80% of acting is waiting around for your scene to start, because there are so many scenes that have to be filmed each day. The other 20% is acting, but half of acting is reacting, and so the actual acting where you say your lines is only 10%. You have to make sure that you know your lines, that your hair looks right, and your costume looks consistent between scenes.  Preparation often takes longer than filming itself, as everything has to look and sound perfect.  

I most enjoyed filming the “Sugar Police” scene in which I had to sneak sweets into school on “Sugar Free Tuesday”. I had specially made prop shoes with a hidden compartment, along with a larger blazer in which there were secret hiding places for chocolate bars!

Filming this programme was good preparation for starting secondary school as it gave me confidence and I practised wearing a school blazer every day.  I absolutely loved the experience and I hope to work with my cast mates again one day!