Last night, I caught up with the final three open auditionees desperately seeking stardom in Hollyoaks as the show's new lead female student India.

Over the course of the rest of the day, I'll be bringing you a series of exclusive interviews with the finalists as well as a chat with the show's producer Henry Swindell, who had many a sleepless night watching thousands of audition tapes.

So let's kick off with the first girl to make the final cut, Sophie Louise Craig.

Name: Sophie Louise Craig
Age: 18
Hometown: Barrow in Furness, Cumbria

What prompted you to audition?
"I first heard about it from my Godfather's wife and I sent in my video on the last day. I wasn't going to enter, but I thought 'why not?' and I decided to chase my dream. I knew it was going to be all experience, but I never, ever thought I'd get this far!"

Any previous acting experience?
"Just locally to be honest, nothing like this! I just got a place in The Arden, which is a performing arts school, but if I get this part, I won't be going!"

What have you learned about the character today?
"I've learned a lot about her actually. She aims to please everybody. She's not malicious at all, but she can come across like that. She has the best intentions, but they don't always come across and she wants them to. She can rub people up the wrong way. She's quite opinionated, too. She's apparently from the home counties, down south - very posh and well-spoken."

Out of the three of you, why should you win?
"I'm just a normal girl and it's been my dream since I was little girl. To live the dream would be absolutely amazing. It's a passion of mine and I'd love to say that I've achieved my dream."

What's the competition been like?
Everybody's been really nice. There were some absolutely gorgeous girls here and everyone's been so supportive, running through lines with each other. There were a lot of nerves, too."

Most gruelling part of the day?
"Probably the waiting around, actually. You get so nervous when you're just sat there. It's been really hard work, but in a good way."

What's been the highlight for you?
"Meeting all the cast and filming! I was quite controlled with the cast, actually! I was secretly texting my friends telling them who I'd met!"

What was the funniest part of the day?
"I kept falling down steps! Everyone was sat eating their dinner on the grass and I just went flying down the steps! I'm so clumsy and I'm a dancer, too! A clumsy ballerina!"

Check back later for the remaining three chats!

Let me know your thoughts on the above using the usual form below!

> Click here to see pictures of the final three