Actor Jack Lowden launches former school talent contest

Jack Lowden will help judge the event at Earlston High School

Dunkirk actor Jack Lowden has helped launch a talent competition at his old school in the Borders.

The 29-year-old will also judge the Earlston's Got Virtual Talent event at Earlston High School.

Pupils have until 1 June to submit their entries, which he will narrow down to a top 10.

The actor, who is due to feature in the upcoming Al Capone biopic, has joked that the winning prize could be an online "candlelit dinner" with him.

A post on the school's Facebook page said it was delighted to have the former pupil kick-off the competition.

The competition is being run for pupils at Earlston High School

Lowden said he hoped current students were not - like him - getting "severely bored" under lockdown and sitting around playing games on their consoles.

"To marry in with your very important coursework, we thought we would do something a little bit more exciting," he said.

Pupils are being asked to send in 90-second clips of anything such as cooking, acting, singing or dancing.

"We would love someone to do something with a dog," joked Lowden.

"So if you've got a particularly close relationship with one of your dogs or a particularly creative border collie please get them involved."

He promised an "almighty bonanza" of a prize for the winner.

"It might just be a candlelit dinner for one with me on Zoom, why would you not want to enter for that?" he asked.