Bafta winner Marisa Abela 'was born to act'

Marisa Abela won the leading actress category at the Bafta TV Awards 2025

Marisa Abela's former drama tutor said she was "incredibly proud" to watch her win the leading actress category at Sunday night's Bafta TV Awards.

Rebekka Whitely is the creative director at The Theatre Workshop, based in Sussex, and gave Abela one-to-one lessons while she was studying at Brighton's Roedean School on a drama scholarship.

Abela, 28, picked up the award for best leading actress at the ceremony at London's Royal Festival Hall for her role in the BBC series Industry.

Speaking to BBC Radio Sussex on Monday, Ms Whitely said: "Her career has gone from strength to strength, it's such a joy to watch and [the award is] so deserved. She was born to do it."

Abela grew up in Rottingdean and at first wanted to train to be a lawyer, but her hunger for acting soon took over.

"She was one of those dream students who would come to my lessons in my converted garage studio where I do one-to-one lessons and say 'I've read a play, I've picked some monologue and I think I'd like to do this one for my auditions'," said Ms Whitely.

"What makes someone different, in that you know they'd have a long career, is one's drive, that innate drive and work ethic.

"It's that fire in their belly or the truth in their eyes when they perform. Marisa was always extremely mesmerising."

Even after starring in TV shows and films including Back to Black, a biopic of Amy Winehouse, Abela has never forgotten her roots, said Ms Whitely.

"She recently came back and did a workshop with the students before Back to Black was released, giving some insight into the industry and how she got into drama school, and gave the most amazing workshop," she added.