Millions have already had the privilege of seeing this year’s McDonalds Advert, and if you haven’t, do so with a hankey at the ready. Matilda Firth, just 6 years old, stars as Young Matilda, in McDonald’s most recent Christmas offering, alongside a blue and purple creature quite literally out of child’s dreams – Imaginary Iggy.

The advert tells the story of a young girl’s loss of childish imagination over time, and the process by which something as simple as sharing a meal with friends can reignite this. Matilda brought to the screen an extraordinary quality of sympathy and relatability, her character reminding everyone in the audience of their own journey to maturity and of what was lost along the way.

This is by no means Matilda’s first outing on the small screen, having starred in a number of adverts including Dettol, Wilko and Haribo, as well as taking roles in The Feed (Amazon TV), The Irregulars (Netflix) and The English Game (Netflix). Next year we will see Matilda star in the promising Channel 4 production Hullraisers as the ever adorable Grace as well as a walk on role on the big screen for The Duke. Her skills in acting have been honed through training from Articulate’s Screen Acting Classes since the age of three, and she works extremely hard both in and out of her Drama classes.

As the country opens up once more and returns to what will hopefully be a “Normal” Christmas this year, let Matilda and Iggy be a symbol of the hope for a brighter future and better days ahead.