Former Skins actress Megan Prescott has launched a powerful critique of the hit Channel 4 drama, accusing it of sexualising her as a teenager and claiming she now receives better treatment as an adult content creator on OnlyFans.
From Teen TV Star to Adult Platform
Megan Prescott, now 34, was just 16 years old when she rose to fame playing Katie Fitch on the controversial and era-defining show. Speaking to Cosmopolitan magazine, she contrasted her experiences, stating bluntly: "I'm treated better on OnlyFans than I was on Skins."
She highlighted the hypocrisy she perceives in public attitudes, pointing out that she was allowed to film explicit scenes as a minor on a profitable television production. "I was on TV, as a child, having sex scenes, on a show where a lot of people made a lot of money," she said. Prescott questions why, as a grown woman, she cannot now take ownership of her image and sexuality on her own terms and for greater financial gain.
Revealing the Financial Reality of Teen Stardom
Prescott also shed light on the often-misunderstood financial aspects of her early career. Contrary to public belief, the pay was far from lavish. "We worked it out by the hour once, and it was minimum wage," she revealed. While £400 a week seemed like wealth to a teenager, the actors' contracts also meant they saw no subsequent revenue from streaming platforms, where the show continues to find new audiences.
After leaving Skins, she faced a stark "reality check" finding acting work scarce, with only minor roles in series like Silent Witness and Holby City. This led to her first foray into sex work in her early twenties, which she initially hid due to fear of industry backlash. "I thought 'I can't tell people this, if anyone in the acting industry finds out I'll never work again'," she told Metro.
A Pandemic Pivot to OnlyFans
It was the Covid-19 pandemic that catalysed her move to OnlyFans. After her manager refused to furlough her, she took a friend's advice and created an account. "It completely changed my life," she said, noting it became a crucial income source. This move, she argues, represents a reclaiming of agency that was absent during her time on the Channel 4 show, which ran from 2007 to 2013.
Prescott's comments add to a growing retrospective critique of Skins' safeguarding practices, following similar reflections from co-star Kaya Scodelario. The show, famed for launching careers like Dev Patel and Nicholas Hoult, is now being re-examined for how it handled its young cast during production of its explicit storylines.
