A former Brooklands College student will soon be appearing in millions of living rooms across the country when he joins the regular cast of Eastenders.

Matt Lapinskas, 22, is taking on the role of Anthony Moon - the cousin of established character Alfie Moon, played by Shane Richie.

He will be joined on-screen by 70s pop icon David Essex, who will play Anthony’s father Eddie.

Matt studied for a BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts at Brooklands College’s Weybridge campus.

“I loved my two years at Brooklands and it gave me a solid grounding for my future career,” he said.

“The TV and film acting classes were particularly beneficial in terms of learning techniques such as screentesting, which were definitely useful preparation for life in the industry.

“Brooklands also taught me the business knowledge necessary to market yourself effectively in such a competitive profession.”

In addition to his formal studies at Brooklands, Matt was also selected to be a member of the college’s multi award winning theatre company.

His performance in The Opposite of People, earned him and the company a variety of accolades and trophies.

“It was a huge honour to be selected for Brooklands Theatre Company and touring the production taught me a great deal about the stamina and energy needed in live performance,” he said.

Iain Patterson is a lecturer at Brooklands College and Matt’s former acting teacher.

“It’s very rewarding to see our ex-students achieve success,” he said. “Matt’s casting is fantastic news and I am very proud to have taught him on his journey to Albert Square.

“He is a talented young actor and I am delighted that this has been recognized by the industry.

“I wish him every success in his role in Eastenders and look forward to him returning to Brooklands to share some of his experiences of working on the show with our current learners later in the year.”

Matt can be seen playing Anthony Moon in Eastenders on BBC1 from August.