Former EastEnders star Rakhee Thakrar returns to old school

Rakhee Thakrar told students she was close to giving up on acting

Actress Rakhee Thakrar returned to her old school in Leicester to tell hundreds of pupils how persistence and determination helped her build her acting career.

The former EastEnders star explained how few opportunities there had been for her to get into the industry when she was at Soar Valley College.

But she urged them continue "chipping away and working hard".

Her return to Rushey Mead was part of the BBC's Share Your Story Tour.

Humble beginnings

Share Your Story forms part of the BBC's Centenary celebrations.

Ms Thakrar started off in youth theatre in the city before gradually finding more work around the Midlands.

She said: "The thing I found most difficult is believing there was a path forward.

"I came from quite humble beginnings and I grew up on a council estate.

"I owe a lot to different people who believed in me along the way to be sure."

Youth theatre

She added: "When I was 18 I applied to university to do textile design because I thought there's no chance I'll be able to do this [acting].

"Then I took a year out and then just took a shot on the advice of the leader of the youth theatre.

"That worked out and I got my first job on a radio show called Silver Street on the BBC Asian Network and that became my university because I had these amazing actors I was learning from."

As well as working on Eastenders, she has since gone on to star in the Netflix comedy-drama Sex Education.