Extra care

MAINSTREAM TV projects filming in the North-East are as rare as Premier League wins for the region’s football clubs, so it comes as a welcome relief that the BBC transplanted popular children’s series Tracy Beaker to Tyneside.

To the realists it seems like no more than a bit of box-ticking – the BBC is committed to shooting 50 per cent of programmes outside Lond by 2016 – because there were limited opportunities for local actors as a result of the majority of the cast moving North with the project.

But it’s a start and wouldn’t have happened at all if wellknown children’s author Jacqueline Wilson hadn’t have come up with the idea of turning a grown-up Tracy, played by Dani Harmer, into a care worker.

She says: “The difficulty is that when you’ve got someone as talented as Danu, it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing Tracy. And yet there is no way you can stop a child growin up and Dani is now a young woman.

“It occurred to me that perhaps the way forward would be to show Tracy at the start of adulthood. I thought it would be a brilliant idea to have her coming back into the Dumping Ground (the children’s home) as a young carer.”

Harmer was just 12 years old when she first played Tracy Beaker. Since then she has appeared in a number of highprofile television programmes including My Family, Trial And Retribution, the BBC1 comedy After You’ve Gone and, of course, CBBC’s Dani’s House, which is showing on Sunday mornings on BBC2.

The 20-year-old is also busy trying to launch a music career on the back of a lucrative record deal with Universal/Decca and released the download single Free last year. Her album, Superheroes, is due to be released soon.

Asked about the changes in her CBBC character in the past five years, Harmer replies: “Well, Tracy’s older for a start so is now one of the grown-ups. Viewers will see plenty of new characters and a couple of old ones like Cam and Mike.”

What does it feel like to be back playing Tracy Beaker?

I was a bit apprehensive at first as it’s been five years since I last played her. As soon as I got into character, though, it was like riding a bike.

Does this mean viewers will see a more sensible and responsible Tracy Beaker?

Definitely. There’s no better “grown up” in the Dumping Ground than Tracy, who can relate to the kids. She’s been there and obviously really feels for what they’re going through.

Tracy’s still got that feisty side, though.

Does it feel strange to be back on the Dumping Ground set playing one of the grown ups?

It does. To work with Lisa Coleman (who plays Cam) and Connor Byrne (who plays Mike) as an adult actress, as opposed to a child actress, was quite weird. But I love working with them both and I don’t have to have tutoring or a chaperone!

Tracy has had a change of image and her trademark curls are gone. Did you have a say in her new look?

Yes. I’ve been straightening my hair for various other acting roles and I think it’s important for the viewers to see that Tracy has grown up, so gone are the curls, stripy T-shirts and dungarees.

You really seem to be one of the gang with the young actors playing the new dumping ground kids. Did you get on well with them?

Absolutely. They’re all a lovely, talented bunch of kids – we’re talking A List Hollywood. I love them all and really hope to be able to work with them again in the future.

You were very young yourself when you started acting – have any of the younger cast asked you for advice?

Yes, and my advice is, if you want it bad enough, stay focused and be prepared for rejections as there’ll be plenty of them – but keep at it. And always be courteous and professional to those you work with.

You are a girl of many talents – acting, comedy and now singing – which one is your favourite?

That’s a difficult one, but probably acting. Although I absolutely adore singing, acting is something I’ve always wanted to do from a very young age.

Having said that, if I get the chance to do comedy and singing again I’d never turn it down.

You are in the middle of filming the new series of Dani’s House – are you enjoying yourself?

It’s brilliant. I get to visit Edinburgh, which is great, and the cast and crew are wonderful.

It’s also such good fun and I laugh every day. Oh, and I get to dress up as an alien again.

As well as fitting in a new series of Tracy Beaker Returns and Dani’s House this year, you have launched your singing career. How do you fit in all in?

It’s been difficult with all the acting work I’ve had, but I’m hoping for an album release early next year, depending on work commitments, so watch this space.

■ Tracy Beaker Returns, CBBC, Friday, 5.15pm (repeated Sunday mornings at 9am on BBC2)