91Èȱ¬

Newcomer Matt Morgan, 15, makes his on-screen debut as joker Isaac but he had to make a pretty big sacrifice in order to film the show.

"I was meant to be going on a skiing trip to California with school when filming was starting," reveals Matt. "We'd started paying for it two years ago and all my friends were going, but when I found out I'd got the part we cancelled it. It was totally worth it though."

So what exactly is Isaac like?

"Well he's not slow but the world sort of goes on around him and he's not really tuned in, to be honest," he explains.

"He's sort of like the 'Joey from Friends' of the programme, he eats quite a lot and he's the one that's a bit behind everyone else. I hope I'm not like him at all!"

Isaac's the drummer in the band, so was Matt able to play the drums before the show?

"When I heard about the audition I got myself a book about learning to play the drums," explains Matt, "and every day at lunchtime I'd go into the music room and practice. Then when I started filming I had a few proper lessons."

Matt is still at school, so how did he find balancing filming and his schoolwork?

"I had three exams during filming – in maths and science, my least favourite subjects!" says Matt. "But I had a tutor so, whenever I wasn't on set, I was off working. It wasn't actually that bad. I was expecting it to be really hard but I just got down to the work."

So what's Matt's favourite storyline in the show?

"I steal a pig in one of the episodes," laughs Matt. "Annabelle says she's going to kill it so Isaac decides to save it. Isaac and Hadley even do a song about the pig and how much they love it.

"I loved working with that pig!"