Lloyd Webber plants new Maria on TV

Summer Strallen is the niece of performer Bonnie Langford

Viewers of Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks find out on Friday that the character played by Summer Strallen isn't all she appears to be.

The 23-year-old was actually put in there by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

In the show we will see her audition for the role of Maria in The Sound of Music.

But she actually got the real part six months ago replacing How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? winner Connie Fisher.

Idea behind stunt

Andrew Lloyd Webber says it is all about getting younger people to the theatre.

He told Newsbeat: "I've got to the age in life where I won't do anything at all that I don't think is funny.

"And I thought this was very amusing. And it's also going to annoy a lot of people, which I like as well."

Summer Strallen has been in Hollyoaks since October.

Viewers have watched her trying to get a part in a London show since then.

No acting skills

The theatre guru says he wimped out of telling Summer about the plan himself but she was happy to go along with it.

Lloyd Webber will appear in new BBC talent show, I'd Do Anything

He said: "She said, 'Are you going to be on it?'. And I said, 'Regrettably, I does look like I might be'. And at that point she thought 'If Andy's going to do it I think I might'.

"Unfortunately I don't think my acting career is taking off. I haven't had any offers from any other networks - but we'll see."

Not everyone's happy about Lord Lloyd Webber's acting debut though.

He continued: "The only person who is not enjoying it is my daughter. All her school friends are saying - 'Your daddy's on television in Hollyoaks'.

"And of course they think it's their world and the thought that daddy has crashed it is not going down well in the Lloyd Webber household."