Ashley Walters makes London Hughes claim as he defends Top Boy

Ashley Walters has hit back at London Hughes\' \'Top Boy\' criticism - claiming she "didn\'t get through the casting process" on the show.

The 37-year-old actor insists the 30-year-old comedienne "wanted to be in the show", in response to the star questioning why he and Drake have teamed up to make a third series of the gritty drama because she says it is "one show black Britain doesn\'t need back".

Ashley said: "I mean, London, she wanted to be in the show so ... that\'s probably why she tweeted something like that.

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"She didn\'t get through the casting process on it."

Earlier this month, London tweeted: "Ugh why did Drake decide to bring back #TopBoy ... if there\'s one show Black Britain doesn\'t need back, it\'s that! Oooh gangs, drugs, guns, baby-mum\'s! I\'m sick of repeatedly seeing negative black stereotypes blown up on the big screen... Why Couldn\'t he bring back Desmond\'s?!

"Black British culture is not just one way, there\'s more to us than grime and gangs and knife crime... just wish it wasn\'t always the same old story being told.. I\'m over it, myself and many many black Britons can\'t relate (sic)"

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Ashley insists \'Top Boy\' - which tells the story of street gangs on a fictional east London housing estate - intends to "create debate" and get people talking.

Speaking on \'Good Morning Britain\', he added: "There\'s a lot of negative things which happen in the show. We\'re not trying to lie about that, that\'s the beauty of \'Top Boy\', it\'s unapologetic.

"What we\'re trying to do is give you a slice of life of this particular area and what these people go through. Hopefully we give you reasons why, and what that\'s meant to do is create debate. It\'s meant to get us talking the way we\'re talking now.

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"And that\'s the only way we\'re going to move forward with everything that\'s going on."

Drake recently admitted he hopes the new series of \'Top Boy\' will be "half as captivating as \'Love Island\'."