IT was third time lucky for young actress Misha Timmins when she landed the lead role in a new teenage drama.

Misha (15) has been selected to play the part of Gina in ITV's The A-Z of Everything, which is being dubbed the teenage version of hit programme Friends.

She starts rehearsals in Liverpool on January 19 and filming is expected to take place from February.

But the chance to take up her first professional acting job was denied twice before the determined youngster was finally successful.

Misha, who attends Whitefield-based drama group and theatrical agency Kastkidz, missed out on the first auditions due to other commitments and at the second auditions in August she was rejected for the lead part.

It was a stroke of luck for Misha, who travels to Kastkidz each week from her home in Worsley, that the programme organisers decided to recast from scratch under a new casting agent.

Her agent and drama teacher, Risa Hall, who runs Kastkidz from the Garrick theatre in Whitefield, said: "It was third time lucky for Misha and she deserves it. She is beautiful and there is no conceit about her. Everyone loves her. On her third chance the casting agent liked the look of her and we thought it was meant to be."

Risa, who lives in Sunnybank, added: "Misha has been coming to Kastkidz for about 10 months and she is a hard worker. I wish her well. It is her first professional acting job and it is the lead part, which is a great achievement."