A young schoolgirl has landed a role in a comeback series of popular 1990s BBC comedy Birds of a Feather, which attracted 27 million viewers at its peak.

Bethany Attrup, who attends Princess Helena College in Hitchin, has been filming scenes for the new series, which will return in the spring for an eight-part run on ITV.

The series will star the three original characters, sisters Sharon and Tracey played by Pauline Quirke and Linda Robson respectively, and maneater neighbour Dorien, played by Lesley Joseph. The original series was all about the antics of sisters Sharon and Tracey, who shared a home in the Essex town of Chigwell, next door to Dorien after their husbands are sent to prison.

Talking about her experience of filming the scenes for the comeback series, the 11-year-old said: “At the same time as starting Birds of a Feather, I moved up to secondary school, so it’s been a very busy time for me.

“But, I have really enjoyed working with such an experienced cast and the challenge of playing an Australian. I acquired my Aussie accent from watching so many episodes of Neighbours.”

Bethany’s agent Warren Bacci, who is also director of Hertfordshire-based Top Talent Agency, said Bethany worked hard to secure this role in the new series. “Bethany is a great performer, and landing this role in the much-loved Birds of a Feather is guaranteed to open new doors for her.

“I have no doubt that the new series will be as popular as the first one back in the ‘90s, and I can’t wait to see Bethany in it.”