Schoolgirl Rebecca Arghiros has ditched her studies after beating hundreds of hopefuls for a prime presenting job on a new TV channel.

Rebecca, daughter of property developer Josh, will be one of six main presenters on Sky TV channel Your Shout, due to launch next month.

The 17-year-old from Peacehaven beat 700 wannabes for the job after replying to an advert in The Stage magazine asking for people with the gift of the gab.

She was one of 50 picked for auditions in London in August this year and impressed scouts with her enthusiasm and energy.

Later that month, she decided to quit her AS Level course at Brighton, Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College after learning she had landed the job.

Rebecca, of Glynn Road West, said: "I was in Churchill Shopping Centre and started screaming and jumping around when I got the call. People started coming up to me and I told them I was going to be a TV presenter."

The interactive entertainment channel is being launched by Solarnet in mid-December and will run daily from 7am to 9pm.

Managing director Mark Sawtell said programmes at the £500,000 project would include live chat shows similar to This Morning.

Rebecca will be a presenter on several programmes, including a version of Pop Idol, where viewers can vote by text message.

Mr Sawtell, 36, said: "We were accepting applications from anyone aged from 17 to 60. Competition was tough but Rebecca stood out because she had charisma on screen.

"One of the things I like about her is her enthusiasm. She's a very energetic person and very likable.

"She is intelligent with a great personality. We have high hopes for her - I think she will make a very good presenter."

The auditions included hopefuls giving their opinions on Pop Idol judge Simon Cowell.

Rebecca said: "I got about two minutes to read an article on Simon Cowell and put together a five-minute presentation on whether it was good to be bad.

"I said it had certainly proved to be good for him."

She has no regrets about dropping her dance, media, communication studies and humanities AS Levels.

She said: "My mum and family are really chuffed because it's something I really want to do. They know I want to be famous.

"They are proud of me and call me their little superstar."

Rebecca lives with her mother Martine Nesbitt, step-father Mark Nesbitt, and dog Bonnie but expects to move to London when the channel launches.