Nicholas Hoult

Hoult was a child star, performing in About A Boy, but Tony Stonem introduced him to a whole new audience. He demonstrated great range and showed he could shine in both an ensemble cast and in the spotlight. He was nominated for a Golden Nymph award for his role. After Skins, he worked on many acclaimed projects. Including TV series The Great, Mad Max: Fury Road, X-Men: First Class, Nosferatu (2024) and Superman (2025).

Dev Patel

Like many of his castmates, Dev Patel had little industry experience when he started working on Skins. However, his funny and relatable performance as Anwar Kharral resulted in his eventual casting in the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire. Since then, despite admitted rough periods, he has appeared in critically acclaimed films like Lion (which earned him an Oscar nomination), The Personal History of David Copperfield, The Green Knight and he produced, wrote, directed and starred in the incredible Monkey Man.

Kaya Scodelario

Effy, Tony’s sister and centre of Skins’ second generation. Scodelario’s talent earned her a Golden Nymph nomination and film work. From 2009-2011, she performed in Moon, Clash of the Titans (2011) and Andrea Arnold’s Wuthering Heights. Later, she starred in tentpole releases like the Maze Runner series and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales and led the minor hit Crawl. While not garnering as much recognition as her former costars, she has still succeeded with audiences thanks to the likes of Netflix’s The Gentlemen.

Daniel Kaluuya

Arguably, Skins’ best actor. Daniel Kaluuya’s Posh Kenneth marked the start of his pre-stardom work. This period saw work in projects like Doctor Who, Kick Ass 2 and crucially Black Mirror: Fifteen Million Merits. This standout performance caught Jordan Peele’s attention. He was then cast in Get Out (earning him an Oscar nomination), and his career shot into the stratosphere. He was later part of acclaimed casts for Black Panther, Widows and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Additionally, he received awards attention for his performances in Nope, Queen and Slim and Judas and The Black Messiah (winning him an Oscar).

Jack O’Connell

This is England, Eden Lake and his revelatory turn as James Cook established Jack O’Connell’s talent for playing troubled people in harsh circumstances. See his Starred Up, ‘71 and Unbroken roles. In 2015, he won BAFTA’s Rising Star award; however, 2025 saw O’Connell’s star truly ascend. He returned with the second season of the acclaimed SAS: Rogue Heroes. He had an eye-catching part in 28 Years Later, and he wowed as Remmick in smash hit Sinners. 

Building Skins

According to co-creator Bryan Elsley, the show’s inspiration came mainly from his son Jamie Brittain. Wanting to see a more realistic teen drama than the popular American imports, Brittain called Elsley’s current show pitches “boring, middle-class, middle-aged rubbish” and told him to make a meaningful show focused on teenagers. Working together, they created the idea for Skins, which E4 then commissioned. 

For casting, the creators went to young drama groups as well as holding open auditions to get actual teens involved. They also enlisted Brittain’s flatmates and other teens (Daniel Kaluuya later among them) to write and advise on scripts to ensure the characters acted like real teenagers. This, along with a lack of pressure from above, allowed the show to create a more authentic depiction of teenage life, with little moralising on topics like sex, drinking and drugs.

That said, the production did have problems. Actors April Pearson and Laya Lewis said they weren’t given enough safeguarding or coaching when filming intimate scenes. They also said several women stars were reportedly subject to controlling behaviour regarding their bodies by the show staff. Something Channel 4 and Elsley’s representatives were forced to address.

Conclusion

Skins was a generational touchstone and catapulted many talented actors into the A-list. It showcased young people’s creative capabilities, but also the dangers of a lax attitude towards the duty of care. Skins shows us that teenagers deserve platforms that foster their creativity in a way that foregrounds their voices and safety.

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In this article, we will explore the possibilities of what might happen after Channel 4 is privatised and how it will affect the media industry. But to see how the upcoming changes may impact the company let’s refresh ourselves on Channel 4’s history.

The Inbetweeners

Margaret Thatcher’s Government created the public service broadcaster Channel 4 in 1982. One of the only good things from the Thatcher years. But it was and is unlike other PSBs. It does not receive public money (like the BBC) it instead generates revenue through advertising. Which is then used to commission projects. Additionally, Channel 4 does not make its own programmes. Instead, it commissions them through smaller UK production companies. And its mission statement is to present challenging, unique content that also showcases the diversity of British life. This outlook informs its programming and film production arm (Film4). Making it different from the broader public interests of the BBC and the commercial interest of ITV and later Channel 5.

Since its formation, the company has broadcast a range of classic scripted shows like Black Mirror, Derry Girls, Desmond’s, The Inbetweeners and It’s A Sin among others. Its hard-hitting news programmes and Dispatches series have added great diversity to the news landscape. And it has produced films by great creatives like Steve McQueen, Danny Boyle, Ken Loach, Asif Kapadia, Lynne Ramsay and more.

A Very British Coup

So what is the aim of privatising Channel 4? According to those in favour of privatisation, it will secure the company’s future. With competition from hundreds of TV channels and streaming services coupled with declining TV advertising revenues and traditional viewing patterns, the channel’s revenue will likely get smaller over time. And with rising production costs the company faces huge challenges. These are the problems that privatisation aims to solve.

One big claim is that privatisation will get rid of the channel’s funding restrictions. Allowing for more investment from different sources besides advertising. Meaning it will have more money available for new projects. The channel will also potentially be allowed to own and produce its own shows. This can facilitate more direct income through selling these projects to other services. And could create new jobs as the company builds its production staff. Finally, the government has said that it would make Channel 4’s remit part of the conditions for buying the channel. Meaning the channel’s future owner would have to stick to its mission statement of producing diverse content for underserved audiences. Some are also suggesting that the sale terms can be used to ensure that the channel still spends a certain amount of its budget on independent productions. Which sounds positive.

It’s A Sin

However, while all this sounds beneficial it also risks stripping away a lot of what makes Channel 4 important. The fact that Channel 4 produces no content in-house has led to huge growth in independent production throughout the UK. This means more diverse ideas and creatives have had a platform and opportunities that would not be as prevalent were it not for this production model.

Additionally allowing the channel to produce its own shows will ultimately lead to a shrinking of overall jobs. As less work will be outsourced. This means there will be less opportunity for independent production companies new and old.

Finally, putting the channel into private hands is concerning for those that love Channel 4s challenging content. While the government says any future buyer must keep the channel’s remit, how long will a new owner heed the remit if they are looking to make profit? While Channel 4 has many hit shows much of its content appeals to smaller markets. Meaning it may not earn as much. And if the channel is aiming to maximise profits the independent projects it chooses will likely be determined by money-making potential rather than merit.

What Happens Now?

Channel 4’s future now entirely depends on the conditions the government give potential buyers and who the potential buyers are.

If the buyers are passionate about television and film production above making money and keep to the mandate to make content for underserved audiences, with independent productions still needing to meet a certain threshold Channel 4’s brand and importance in UK production can possibly be maintained. However, significant job losses would still be a concern.

If the buyer is purely profit-driven then it is reasonable to expect that the challenging nature of Channel 4s output will slowly be eroded. Making way for projects with mass appeal. Regardless of the government’s requirements. Whatever the outcome it is an unfortunate situation for a unique and integral part of UK media production.

Also Read: New Research Shows 70% of International Audiences View British film and TV As High-Quality

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