A COMEDY written, based and filmed in Southampton is to have a pilot aired on BBC Three, the platform which launched worldwide smash hit Gavin and Stacey.

The Southampton born and bred co-creator, writer, associate producer and star of the show is hoping Fully Blown will put the city on the map in the same way the much-loved sitcom made Barry famous.

Verona Rose told the Daily Echo: "Southampton has a wealth of talent and it's about time it was seen. Hopefully this will help to open the doors for new talent and hopefully the show goes to series.

"We want the whole of Southampton to watch and support it when the show comes out. I'm super excited to be part of it."

Fully Blown tells the story of two best friends who adopt superstar rap personas and has an all female writing and directing team, which also includes Verona's comedy partner Donna Preston, who appears alongside her in the show, and Sarah Morgan, a comedy writer who has credits on Not Going Out starring Lee Mack and is story producer on Sky Atlantic's Intelligence starring David Schwimmer of Friends fame.

Verona, the stage name of 34-year-old Catherine Gordon, started acting at seven and was part of Oaklands Youth Theatre, now Oasis Youth Theatre, before moving to London at 16 to go to the Brit Performing Arts School.

She is a talented MC / rapper who shows off her skills in the show and is also writing the album for the rappers Straz and GapC for the show.

Fully Blown was filmed on the High Street outside Topshop, outside the city's iconic Guildhall, outside the restaurants at Westquay South, in St Mary's, Holy Rood, Mayflower Park and Bursledon and will feature many more city locations if fully commissioned.

Rising Star and Southampton MC Tyrone can be seen in a cameo in Fully Blown, while Southampton producer Jojo Farinella produced some of the music for the show.

Teenager Shantel Gordon, an A level student at Richard Taunton College, receives her first every TV credit on the project, as a floor runner.

Fully Blown is one of three three-minute £45,000 comedies which have been ordered by the BBC comedy controller's team with a view to being developed into long-form series.

The show, along with London estate survival comedy Oi Pussy and Hunger, charting the exploits of self-proclaimed life guru Cayden Hunter, will succeed retiring BBC3 shows including People Just Do Nothing and Fleabag.

The transmission date is yet to be announced but is expected to be in the next four to six weeks.