A young actor has rocketed from a stage school scholarship to prime-time Sunday night television in a year.

Eleven-year-old Daniel Statham is currently appearing as an East End urchin in BBC1 period drama Call The Midwife, alongside Vanessa Redgrave, Jenny Agutter and Miranda Hart - just a year on from his first audition for a place at the Stevenage Top Hat Stage School.

Mum, Laura, who saw the scholarship on offer in a piece on The Comet’s arts page, said Daniel didn’t expect to get a place.

“He attended the auditions just as an experience really, not thinking that anything would come of it, but he was offered a one year contract starting in April.”

After earning the �900 scholarship, the youngster of Wesley Road, Sandy won the lead role in a production of Top Hat On The Streetz, as well as appearances in two episodes of Pete Versus Life on Channel 4.

“It was really nerve-wracking. But after the first line or two I got used to it,” Daniel said.

He added that friends have been supportive, but seeing himself on screen is hard to get used to.

“My friends are really nice about it and watch whenever I’m on TV. They find it weird seeing me though – I find it weird seeing myself.”

He said working with screen legends in Call The Midwife has given him a real ambition to succeed in the industry.

“It’s been really good – I’ve learnt a lot. The actors and actresses were really nice to me. They told me never to give up trying and I would get there one day.

“I would really like to be on EastEnders. I’m trying to get on more stuff so they might notice me.”

Daniel continues to train at Top Hat, which meets at John Henry Newman School on Saturdays and in school holidays.