The dark side of Skins: How the controversial teen drama which glamourised ... trends now

Skins followed the hedonistic lives of a group of Bristol-based sixth formers in the mid noughties and captivated its audience with gritty and realistic storylines.

Moving away from glossy American teen dramas, the E4 series shone a spotlight on the antics of adolescents as they experimented with drugs, sex and partying.

The seven series run was hailed for its approach to real life issues, as its characters dealt with wide-ranging problems from mental health struggles to addiction.

It was dubbed the first of its kind, casting real teenagers to play college students of the same age in a bid to achieve an edgy and raw finished product.

Viewers watched as carnage ensued in each episode, where drug-fuelled house parties and raves were the norm, as were the crashing come downs the next day.

However, since the show aired between 2006 and 2013, many of its cast members have admitted they were living the same life off-screen, with little support.

The show garnered controversy for its glamorous portrayal of sex and drugs, especially with regard to its young actors, who later said they felt 'unprotected'.

KAYA SCODELARIO - LACK OF SAFEGUARDING

Most recently, Kaya Scodelario, who played Effy Stonem, claimed there was no safeguarding for her as teen while filming Skins and there was nobody to 'check they [the cast] were okay'.

Speaking on the Dish podcast with Nick Grimshaw and Angela Harnett, Kaya said: 'Back then there wasn't the same amount of safeguarding with young actors, there wasn't anyone checking if we were okay.'

It follows a long line of claims from her Skins alumni, including April Pearson, Jack O'Connell, Laya Lewis and Nicholas Hoult.

A darker side of the popular show was revealed and the claims even forced its creators to apologise to anyone who felt uncomfortable while filming.

The cast have spoken out about the downside to filming the show, with some admitting they struggled without the support seen on sets nowadays.

Series one of the programme followed Tony Stonem (Nicholas Hoult), Chris Miles (Joe Dempsie), Sid Jenkins (Mike Bailey), Michelle Richardson (April Pearson), Cassie Ainsworth (Hannah Murray) and Anwar Kharral (Dev Patel) among others.

While the local cast were able to travel home after filming, those from further afield were put up in a hotel which they 'smashed up' while staying unaccompanied. 

APRIL PEARSON - 'I WASN'T PROTECTED' 

April, who played Michelle, spoke about their off-camera antics on her podcast Are You Michelle From Skins?, where she detailed the chaos that would ensue.

Speaking about her experience, Michelle said: 'We thought we were anarchic crazy teenagers. We knew how to have fun.'

The hotel, which sounded something like student halls where 18-year-olds run riot with the first taste of freedom, was apparently unsupervised.

It links to cast claims that they were left feeling vulnerable and unsupported while filming the drama, with the duty of care lacking in all areas.

April said: 'There's a difference between being officially old enough and mentally old enough. I was having this conversation with my husband and I was saying I do feel like I was too young, I feel like I wasn't protected.'

'A conversation I'm having a lot with [Skins] alumni is, at the time you're young, you don't know any better, you don't really know what to say and speak out. As with a lot of victims of trauma, you look back at it and go, 'Yeah that was f***ed up.'

This is particularly problematic for Skins, which was filled with sex scenes and raunchy moments between characters.

The cast, who had been plucked from their classrooms, also had no prior experience of what it was like to film these vulnerable moments.