5 hours ago
6
BBC
Mhairi Black announced she had left the SNP earlier this year
Former SNP MP Mhairi Black is joining the cast of the new BBC legal drama Counsels, which is set in Glasgow.
Black, who was the party's deputy leader at Westminster, will play a detective in the eight-part series in her first television acting role.
She announced she had left the SNP in July, saying there had been "too many times" when she did not agree with the party's decisions.
These issues were predominantly the stances on trans rights and Palestine.
Months prior to this, Black revealed that she had been able to take control of her life again following a "life-changing" diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Black said she was excited to join the cast of Counsels, playing a character named Detective Inspector Bridges.
She said: "I've been relishing trying different things since politics, this is my first TV acting role and I really enjoyed auditioning for the part.
"To work on a series which is set and filmed in Glasgow is an amazing opportunity - what a brilliant show to be a part of."
Getty Images
Mhairi Black defeated Douglas Alexander to win Paisley and Renfrewshire South in 2015
Black was catapulted into the political limelight when she was elected to Westminster at the age of 20 and became the youngest MP since 1832.
She was elected as the SNP MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South, ousting Labour's Douglas Alexander.
Her victory came as the SNP captured all but three of the seats in Scotland in the 2015 general election.
Black stood down ahead of the general election last year, citing safety concerns, social media abuse and unsociable hours.
Months later she debuted her one-woman show, Politics Isn't For Me, at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Her transition from MP to performer was also chronicled in a BBC documentary Mhairi Black: Being Me Again.
Who else is in Counsels?
The new series about young lawyers stars Rebecca Bell, Brandon Grace, Eilidh Park, Alyth Ross, Ro Kumar and George Prentice
The BBC announced the main cast of the new legal drama last month.
It stars Brandon Grace, Ro Kumar, Eilidh Park, George Prentice, Alyth Ross and Rebecca Bell as young lawyers trying to navigate their messy lives at a time when their careers turn serious.
Having trained together at an elite law school, the characters are now scattered across the profession and find themselves facing each other in court.
The ensemble are joined by an established cast including:
- Michelle Gomez (Doom Patrol, The Flight Attendant)
- Derek Riddell (Happy Valley, Industry)
- Laura Haddock (What It Feels Like For A Girl, The Recruit)
- Daniela Nardini (This Life, Sunset Song)
- Michael Nardone (Traces, The Night Manager)
- Sally Howitt (River City, Dinosaur)
- Stuart Bowman (Department Q, Only Child)
- Neshla Caplan (The Rig, Rebus)
- Stephen Purdon (River City, Sweet Sixteen)
The drama was created by Scottish writers Bryan Elsley - who co-created the E4 drama Skins - and Gillian McCormack, a graduate of the BBC Writers' Drama Room.
Elsley, who also wrote the BBC adaptation of Iain Banks' The Crow Road, said he was delighted to be leading the series with McCormack.
It is being made by Balloon Entertainment for BBC iPlayer, BBC One and BBC Scotland.
