It was the CBBC classic which had children shouting ‘Bog off’, but now, actress Montanna Thompson has revealed that Tracy Beaker was almost very different
Tracy Beaker almost had a different actress playing the iconic character. With her constant shouting matches, tears from hayfever and yelling “Bog off” at the top of her lungs, Tracy was perhaps the most well-known children childrens TV character of her generation.
Played by Dani Harmer, the character saw its fair share of heartbreak, with Tracy’s mum Carly leaving her for a “career in Hollywood”, and several foster families before she found happiness with author Cam Lawson, who adopted Tracy.
And it’s fair to say that Justine Littlewood was perhaps Tracy’s biggest archnemesis in The Dumping Ground (Elmtree House). However, things could have been very different, as Dani almost never landed the role of Tracy.
Actress Montanna Thompson, who played Justine, has now revealed that she initially landed the role of Tracy before Dame Jacqueline Wilson stepped in. “I didn’t actually audition for Justine,” Montanna said.
Speaking on the Embarrassing For No Reason podcast, the actress, 37, went on to add: “I auditioned for Tracy and I got the phone call and they said, ‘Oh, you’ve got the part as Tracy.’ So me and my mum was jumping around…
“We was all jumping around and celebrating and then an hour later, I get a call from the BBC. Jacqueline Wilson said she wanted to keep the illustration of Tracy original. So I was like ‘Ok’, and they was like ‘Would you like to be Justine?’ so I was like ‘Yeah, ok, great’.”
Montanna went on to tell hosts Sam Darlaston and Tatum McGreal that her mother was asked if she would “cut her hair off” as Dame Jacqueline wanted Justine to have a bob. “My mum said, ‘Well, no, not really,’” she explained.
“I think that’s why Justine has got the plaits, and they made that character like that,” she added. However, Montanna admits that she “loved” playing Justine and, looking back, couldn’t imagine herself playing any other character on the show.
She said: “Dani fits Tracy perfectly, too, and it’s all meant to happen, as you said. Alignment is everything happens for a reason.” But Dani is said to be aware that Montanna was initially cast as the role.
Montanna was around 11 or 12 when she was first cast for the CBBC programme, adding that she can’t watch herself in real time on TV, but she’s now able to look back and watch the first series of the show, which aired on January 8, 2002.
Elsewhere on the podcast, Montanna revealed that there were several “childhood sweetheart” romances on the show. Unbeknownst to fans, she enjoyed a “romance” with Crash, played by Darragh Mortell. Dani enjoyed a childhood-sweetheart romance with Lol, played by Ciaran Joyce.
While The Story of Tracy Beaker may have ended in 2006, Montanna has since reprised her role in a series of spin-offs of the classic programme. In 2012, the actress returned as Justine in Tracy Beaker Returns, before later returning for the series My Mum Tracy Beaker.
And still to this day, the actress is often flooded with supportive messages from fans, and most recently participated in a Comic Con event with her former co-stars.
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