Ex Hollyoaks star Rachel Shenton has admitted the moment her film won the Oscar was "surreal."

The 30-year-old wrote, produced and starred in The Silent Child which won an Academy Award for best live action short film.

The film follows a deaf four-year-old girl named Libby who lives in a world of silence until a caring social worker teaches her to use sign language to communicate.

Shenton, from Staffordshire, was inspired to write the film by her father's experience of becoming deaf when she was young.

Academy Award winners Rachel Shenton and Chris Overton pose with awards for Best Live Action Short Film 'The Silent Child'

Speaking on Good Morning Britain today she described the moment the film was announced as the winner.

"It’s a really surreal moment. We felt really calm beforehand.

"Two categories before ours we felt, 'Oh God, this is really happening. This is awful'.

"And then, as the names are called out, we heard The Silent Child and thought, ‘Oh my God that’s actually us, it’s not nominations, we’ve won.’ It’s so surreal."

Shenton composed herself before delivering her winner's speech in sign language, saying: ‘I made a promise to our six-year-old lead actress that I’d sign this speech. ‘My hands are shaking so I apologise.’

Filmmakers Rachel Shenton (L) and Chris Overton accept Best Live Action Short Film for 'The Silent Child' onstage

Later, she hailed the young British actress as ‘a star’. ‘She did the red carpet with us and then sat with her mum,’ the ex-Hollyoaks actress said. ‘I didn’t want her to not look at me and look at the interpreter.

"I made a promise and I kept it even though I was a bit shaky,’ she said of her winner’s speech.

The film was directed by Shenton's fiancee, Cannock director Chris Overton.

Chris thanked their parents for helping to raise £1,000 to help make the film.

Rachel Shenton as Mitzeee Minniver in Hollyoaks.

"My mum and dad made the cupcakes and Rachel's mum and her mum's partner Nigel sold them at their work," he told reporters.

"We crowdfunded this all by ourselves and we had the support of so many people, but it was made on a shoestring."

On what the win could do for them, Chris said: "Hopefully it will open doors, but mainly for the message of the film and what it's done for deaf awareness."

Rachel appeared in Holby City and Birmingham soap Doctors before she landed the role of Mitzeee Minniver in Hollyoaks. in 2010.

she played the part for three years before going on to star in Switched At Birth and White Gold.