A 19-year-old blacksmith from Norwich is to star in a series of short films which sees participants recreate some of history's most iconic weaponry.

Alec Steele will star in the first of five three minute short films called Forged in Britain which will be broadcast on the History Channel around the premiere of the series Forged in Fire.

Not only a blacksmith, Alec has more than 200,000 followers on his YouTube channel where he posts videos aimed to give viewers an 'entertaining insight into the life of a blacksmith in the 21st century.' So far the videos have amassed nearly 19 million views.

Forged in Britain will also feature forgers Owen Bush, Josh and Graham Burrell, Grace Horne and Rod Hughes, each demonstrating their expert skills in their own dedicated episode.

A spokesperson for the channel said: 'We searched the UK and Ireland for the best forgers and are very happy to have found five of the most experienced professional blacksmiths to feature in these new short films. With Britain's long-established tradition of blacksmithing, History is proud to showcase the work and skill of UK forgers whose craftsmanship is every bit as impressive as their American counterparts.'

• Episode one of Forged in Britain premieres exclusively on the History Channel on Thursday, June 1 during the 9pm episode of Forged In Fire.