Louisa Lytton is just three years older than some of the students interviewing her

Secondary school pupils from Devon and Hampshire interviewed the EastEnders star and former Spice Girl in conjunction with the BBC News School Report project.

An exchange of emails between students from Coombeshead College in Newton Abbot and Emma Bunton was turned into a feature for the school website and newspaper.

Meanwhile, seven pupils from Park Community School in Havant travelled to Television Centre in London to interview the soap star and salsa fan face to face.

Students' interview with Louisa

Harry said: "My heart just dropped when I realised the interview was actually happening. If I could choose anyone in the world to interview, it would be Louisa Lytton - again!"

The modest 17-year-old, who plays Albert Square's Ruby Allen, was as star stuck as the students, revealing her excitement at working with Emma Bunton.

She said: "It was a bit overwhelming because I was a massive Spice Girl fan. She and I get on really well and it was great to be in her music video for the Children in Need song Downtown.

Emma's music video featured prominently in another interview when students at Coombeshead College in Devon secured an exclusive email exchange with the singer.

She told the pupils: "Downtown has always been a favourite of mine. I've been involved with Children in Need for quite a long time and it's a great way to raise money."

Students also interviewed managing director of Children in Need Gloria Abramoff.

Replying to 13-year-old Jake's enquiry about the most distressing part of her work, she said: "It's incredibly shocking to see children in the 21st century in the UK who are terribly neglected by both parents and by the wider society."

Head of journalism at Coombeshead College, Sue White, said: "This opportunity showed students the importance of preparing for interviews and staying cool while under pressure. They gained significantly in confidence throughout the day and it was a really valuable learning experience."

BBC Journalist Zoe Millet, who helped the Hampshire students prepare for the interview with Louisa Lytton, added: "Some people may think of news as being very serious but activities like this show that it's a huge amount of fun."

Project overview

Sixty UK schools, including Park Community and Coombeshead are involved in the 2006/7 pilot stage of the School Report which the BBC hope to extend to all secondary schools in the future.

The project will culminate in a national School Report News Day on 22 March 2007, in which all 60 schools will simultaneously make and publish their news on the internet.