Ricky Whittle has revealed how he learned to ride a horse especially for his role as Grounder Lincoln in The 100.

The former Hollyoaks hunk returns in the new series of the US show, which follows 100 chosen youngsters sent down from space station The Ark, to try and start a new life on a post-apocalyptic Earth.

The 100 cast
The 100 (E4)

Ricky revealed: “It is true I learned to ride for the show. It was great because I love horses.

“You get better shots if it’s you and not a stuntman on a horse. If they can see me rearing a horse, doing all these different things then that’s more visually effective than a wide shot of someone else doing the work.

“This is what we do as a cast; we try to give 110 per cent. We try to give it as much as we can by putting in our homework and doing all our research. We do all this work before we get to set, so that when we arrive on set, we can bring it. I think all that stuff translates to the screen; especially when we start to get the acclaim that I think this show deserves, like the Emmy nomination.”

The British actor revealed fans can expect to learn a lot more about his character in the second series, and he is really excited about it.

Ricky said: “We’ll definitely learn more about him. We’ll learn about his whole world and why he is the way he is. Every day I wake up in Vancouver, where we shoot the show, and I can’t wait to get to work. I can’t wait to find out what’s going to happen. Seriously, it’s going to blow everyone away!”

The 100 returns to E4 on January 6, 2015 at 9pm.