A BUDDING soap star is set to make her debut on the small screen - at the tender age of two!

Little Karis Sharkey, of Heather Close, Locking Stumps, will soon be appearing on our television screens as Holly, the daughter of teenage mum Cindy, in Hollyoaks.

Cute Karis has already done catalogue modelling work, set up by Culcheth-based agency Eurokids, and her parents, Paul and Collette, say she is completely at home in front of the camera.

"Karis loves it," said Collette, "and everyone involved in the show is really good with her.

"When she does well, she claps and says 'I'm a clever girl' and they all clap with her. When she wants a sleep they let her go and there are lots of toys for her to play with when she's not being filmed. She was even allowed to take in her paddling pool when it was hot."

Karis has proved a hit with all the cast.

"We keep to the character names so that she doesn't get confused," said Collette.

"She calls Cindy 'Cindy-mum' and gives them all kisses and hugs. She seems to do everything they tell her. The crew are really pleased because they usually only have to do one take, but she ad-libs and makes the others laugh!"

And Collette says she will be delighted if Karis chooses acting as a career in the future.

"It's an option for her," she said. "We will put her into acting classes if she wants to do that when she is older, but that's all up to her."

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.