The first day of shooting for My Murder (Monday, 9pm) was pretty cool! It was a 6.30am pick up and a long drive to East London. The base in the middle of this field, with a bus full of crew setting up for the first shot. I felt ready! I prepared for the character but it's all about letting go and living, so I could truly fill the shoes of such a wonderful boy.

Accepting this role was such a fulfilling decision. I hadn't heard of the story of Shakilus Townsend's murder but the circumstances were all too familiar, especially at a time when many young people were dying on London’s streets.

This story was unlike any other; it has heart and gives a unique insight into the minds of young people. Shakilus’ slate wasn't clean but he was determined and thirsty to clean it! He wanted to better himself, leaving his old mentality behind him. This is a quality that can determine anyone's future, whether to make a change or see what happens. Shakilus Townsend wanted to make a change and he was such an interesting person to capture and think about while we were shooting.

All the characters in My Murder are complex. As a cast we worked closely with the director Bruce Goodison, breaking down each scene and understanding the characters’ thought processes. The rehearsals were tough but it paid off.

One of the best things about this filming My Murder was meeting Nicola, Shakilus Townsend's mum. I have to personally thank Nicola for blessing me with this role, for giving me the thumbs up to play Shakilus and for giving me such detailed information about him which influenced my performance.  I really hope you all enjoy My Murder and I hope we have learnt a valuable lesson from this.

My Murder is on Monday 26th March at 9pm.

• Sam from 60seconds explains the 'honey trap' case.
• Writer Levi David Addai on how he made a shocking true story into a gripping drama.
• BBC Learning - PSHE & Citizenship for My Murder