Outlander star Steven Cree has told he is proud of his Kilmarnock upbringing on an estate that was hammered by a controversial documentary.
The actor best known for his role as Ian Murray in the hit historical Starz drama has opened up on his Onthank roots.
The estate was cast in a bad light when it became the focal point of BBC fly-on-the-wall show The Scheme.
And Steven has come out to the defence of the community he called home from ages seven to 16.
Speaking in an interview with the Herald, Steven blasted the series as the "worst TV show ever," after it gave Kilmarnock and Onthank a bad name.
Steven, 41, said: "The documentary series The Scheme – and I say 'documentary' in inverted commas – was one of the worst-made TV programmes ever.
"After my mum and dad separated, then later divorced, we moved to Onthank. I lived in Onthank from the ages of seven to 16.
"When I watched The Scheme, it seemed to take advantage of people who lived there and had maybe hit hard times or weren't having the best fortune in life.
"It completely manipulated those people and almost tried to insinuate that if you live in Onthank, or in a council estate, this is what your life must be like, you must be a drug addict or not aspiring towards anything else."
The Scheme aired in 2010 and followed families in the estate as they battled with daily life, highlighting drug problems, crime and poverty.
But Steven believes the show created negativity around his hometown.
He added: "My experience of living in Onthank wasn't like that at all. The Scheme gave Kilmarnock a bad name, it gave Onthank a bad name and it gave council estates a bad name. It was poverty porn. And done in the most snobbish way."
It comes as Steven announced he was teaming up with Ayrshire Cancer Support as the charity's newest ambassador.
Steven told the charity he hoped to raise awareness for the vital charity that he holds close to his heart.
The actor said: “It's a privilege to be asked to join Ayrshire Cancer Support as an ambassador, and to help raise awareness for this incredibly important charity in any way I can. Cancer touches so many of our lives.
"As someone born and bred in Kilmarnock and having witnessed close loved ones going through cancer, this is a charity very close to my heart.”
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