Former OC star Mischa Barton has said the opportunity to join the cast of The Hills reboot was “irresistibly inviting”.

The British-American actress, 32, never appeared on the original series of the popular US reality show, which ran from 2006 until 2010 and followed the glamorous lives of young people living in Los Angeles.

Barton instead found fame starring in drama The OC, which premiered in 2003 and later inspired MTV’s The Hills.

Announcing she was joining the cast, Barton shared a video to Instagram of her listening to Natasha Bedingfield’s Unwritten, the theme for The Hills.

She said: “Welcome to The Hills, bitch.”

The video was captioned: “The secret’s out… I’m joining the cast of The Hills. When MTV approached me with the chance to be a part of the reality show that was inspired by The OC, it felt like the perfect opportunity for an irresistibly inviting new chapter.”

The Hills: New Beginnings was announced in August, but it will not include previous cast members Lauren Conrad or Kristin Cavallari.

The series originally focused on Conrad, though Cavallari took over as the lead cast member for the final season.

As well as Barton, confirmed stars include Heidi and Spencer Pratt, Brody Jenner, Audrina Patridge, Whitney Port, Jason Wahler, Stephanie Pratt and Justin Bobby.

The Hills: New Beginnings is set to premiere in 2019.