In 1998, Latham made his television debut in an episode of The Cops as Grant, and went on to appear, in 2000, as Nelson Catchpole in the series Big Meg, Little Meg. He played Lee, one of the key characters in When I Was 12 in 2001. Latham has appeared in five BAFTA winning dramas: Clocking Off, The Cops, The Street, Shameless and EastEnders. Latham played a leading role in the BBC drama Mr Harvey Lights a Candle, which was shown in March 2005. He also appeared in an episode of The Street, written by Jimmy McGovern, in April 2006. Latham worked regularly in television before being cast as Lip Gallagher in Shameless, the second eldest of the Gallagher children. Lip is an intelligent and outspoken youth who is trying to escape from the Chatsworth estate in Stretford. He was 24 when he left the show. He took on other work between series, until he was written out of the show in 2008 to allow him to concentrate on other projects. He later returned to the role for the series finale in early 2013. In 2006 Latham filmed a short film, A Neutral Corner, about a young boxer arriving in a desolate town where he meets a dog, a stranger and a mysterious waitress. In 2007 he appeared in Ruby Blue with Bob Hoskins—Latham's first film role. Since leaving Shameless, he has starred in ITV1's The Fixer, playing the cheeky scally character Calum, and played a part in the music video Moonshine & Roses by International One. He also appeared in Tulisa's 2012 music video for song "Sight of You". Latham has also turned presenter - hosting the NME Awards aftershow party interviewing award winners. He also been the face and voice of numerous brands including Clearasil, Orange Mobile, Gio Goi and many more, including the BBC flagship stationRadio 1. He appears in the films Act of Grace and The Michael Gomez Story. In the latter he plays Michael Gomez, an Irish Traveller who turned professional boxer at 17. Latham played guest lead in the drama The Tudors along with Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Latham was one of the celebrities to take part in the 2009 series of Hell's Kitchen on ITV1. In 2010 Latham played Matt on the radio series House on Fire which aired on BBC Radio 4 from 2010 to 2013. In 2011 Latham joined the cast of the BBC soap opera EastEnders, playing Rob Grayson, a pimp in a controversial sex exploitation storyline. In 2012, Latham was given a 12 month suspended sentence along with 100 hours community service after being found guilty for growing cannabis. In 2013, Latham appeared in the popular BBC school-based drama series, Waterloo Road, as Steve-O Malone.
Selected filmography
The Cops 1998
Big Meg, Little Meg 2000
When I Was 12 2001
Having It Off 2002
The Stretford Wives 2002
Holby City 5 episodes 2002–03
Mr. Harvey Lights a Candle 2005
The Street 2006
A Neutral Corner 2006
The Michael Gomez Story 2007
Ruby Blue 2007
Shameless 2004–08, 2013
The Fixer 2008-09
2008
The Tudors 2010
Casualty 2010
EastEnders 2011
Celluloid 2013
Waterloo Road 2013
Inspector George Gently 2015 episode "Son of a Gun"
Mirrors 2015 short, segment Boys on Film 13 – Trick & Treat 2015, alongside Skins' Liam Boyle, for the Boys On Film