Bristol Old Vic actor spooked by BBC success

Less than six months ago, Shazad Latif was a normal student at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

But from tonight he will star in one of the biggest programmes on television, as new character Tariq in Spooks on BBC One.

Shazad, 21, left the prestigious theatre school on Downside Road in Clifton a year early to take on the role of the new MI5 agent.

Tariq has come in to help long-suffering Malcolm, MI5's answer to James Bond's Q.

Shazad hopes to follow in the footsteps of other alumni of the school, who include famous names such as Daniel Day-Lewis, Jeremy Irons and Pete Postlethwaite.

He said: "I think some of my mates are jealous, but they're all very pleased for me too. I thought I'd be doing theatre work after leaving drama school, but then I got this. It's a great place to learn as there are some brilliant actors here.

"It's funny because I'm not into technology in real life, but I've had to learn to love it. I've got to look convincing when I'm giving a gadget away, haven't I?"

Hermione Norris, who plays agent Ros Myers, said that Shazad settled in very quickly to the eighth series.

"Shazad is brilliant," she said. "We're all really impressed with him and the way he comes on set, delivers this great dialogue at high speed and stays really calm."

In the dying moments of the last series of Spooks, MI5 Section D chief Harry Pearce, having just averted a major terrorist atrocity in London, was bundled into the boot of a car by his Russian counterpart.

The new series picks up moments after the last left off, but further plot details have not been revealed.

● Spooks returns to BBC One tonight at 9pm.