In the second series of Mount Pleasant, tart-with-a-heart Bianca (Sian Reeves) forms an important new relationship with her stepson, Gary (George Sampson) who comes to stay after his own mum goes to Australia. Sian and George tell TV Choice more.

George, how did you move from Waterloo Road on to Mount Pleasant?
George Sampson: I just auditioned, like everyone else, and I got really lucky in the audition, because the part is for a kid who loves football, and I’m quite good at football. They had a football in the audition and they made us do 20 keepie uppies! On any other day I wouldn’t have been able to do it, but on the day I nailed it! I think that’s why I got the part!

This character’s very different from Waterloo Road’s Kyle…
George Sampson: Oh, absolutely. It’s a massive change from playing an idiot! It’s nice playing someone who’s just a normal teenage lad. I’ve been playing a 15-year-old since I was 15 (he’s now 19) and I quite enjoy it. I’m getting quite good at it now! I’m trying to focus on the acting now but it’s difficult because I love dancing and can’t keep still for five minutes.

Sian Reeves: He doesn’t keep still! He doesn’t really eat properly. We’ve got really long hours filming and sometimes we’re up from 5am until 9pm and I’m, like, ‘You mentalist!’

When you auditioned for Britain’s Got Talent you had all these ambitions. Do you feel like you’re living the dream?
George Sampson: Oh yeah, everything I ever wanted beforehand I’ve done already. That’s the problem now, I’m running out of ideas of what I want to do. I wanted my own dance school under an arch, I’ve got that. I wanted to sing, dance, act, I’ve done that. What else do I wanna do? I wanna go on holiday! That’s all I’ve got left! Now that we’ve finished filming, I’ve got a nice bit of time free, so I’m going to tick over another plan and keep going.

Will you be doing any dancing in the show?
George Sampson: Well, we had a bit in the Christmas special…

Sian Reeves: Yeah. I’ll kill him for that. I was meant to be doing something sexy and he upstaged me!

Do you have a say in Bianca’s outfits, Sian?
Sian Reeves: I did have a say in her outfits last year, saying that she should be a ridiculous, sexy Elizabeth Hurley, and that’s what we’ve sort of gone for. But don’t tell Liz!

Sky Living, Wednesday
Martina Fowler