Michelle de Swarte leads the cast of the comedy-drama series Spent which will be airing on BBC Two very soon.

Alongside starring in the programme, de Swarte also created and wrote the series partly basing it on her experiences in the modelling industry.

She plays a former catwalk model called Mia who is described as being on the run, mainly from herself, and is declared bankrupt in the US which causes her to go back home to London.

A synopsis from the BBC reads: "Long term it’s a story of personal renewal but for now, the stark reality is that her career is over, she’s flat broke and she’s homeless.

"This is a woman who despite her humble beginnings has become accustomed, possibly even addicted, to the finer things in life.

"Unfortunately, those lifestyle choices don’t carry much currency when you’re pushing 40 and permanently sofa surfing." 

As reported by WhatToWatch, de Swarte discussed the backstory behind the series and creating the character of Mia.

She said: "I’d describe Mia as charismatic, trouble and fun. The show begins with her in New York facing bankruptcy. I’d say 20% of the show is autobiographical. However, unlike Mia I stopped modelling at 30 and started doing stand up.

"It was nice to show what it’s like to come out the other side of fashion and see someone starting from scratch again. The modelling world is not all glitz and glamour. Anyone who’s gone for overspending to fill a void in their life will relate to it and so will anyone who’s had to move back home when things have gone wrong!"

BBC Two Spent full cast list

  • Michelle de Swarte as Mia
  • Amanda Wilkin as Jo
  • Juliet Cowan as Chrissy
  • Karl Collins as Teddy
  • Matt King as Mills
  • Victoria Alcock as Claire
  • Eva Pope as Jemima
  • Joelle Dyson as Nitty

  • Delroy Brown
  • Levi Brown
  • Alaa Habib
  • Eleanor Nawal
  • Jamali Maddix
  • Rachel Ofori

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When will Spent be on TV?

The first episode of Spent will air on BBC Two at 10pm on Monday, July 8 which is 30 minutes long.

In total, there are six episodes in the series that will air at the same timeslot over the coming weeks.

Alternatively, all episodes will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer from Monday.