DANI Harmer has revealed how she brought her own experience of motherhood to play a grown-up version of Tracy Beaker.
Iconic children’s TV character Tracy is returning in the “fierce” reboot My Mum Tracy Beaker this month, which shows Tracy as a parent in her 30s.
Actress Dani, 31, explained that navigating motherhood with her real-life daughter Avarie-Belle Betsy, 4, helped her develop grown-up Tracy’s character.
The star admits she relates more than ever to the character, who grew up in care at ‘The Dumping Ground’, and first appeared on our screens in 2002.
Comparing her own experience to her character’s, Dani admitted motherhood “completely changed” her much like Tracy.
“Being a mother myself, it completely changes you,” she told The One Show.
“It’s been really nice to play Tracy and see how she’s lost that selfishness she once had.”
Feisty character Tracy was infamous for her rule-breaking personality, and even Dani admits while she’s focused on her ten-year-old child, Jess, she “is still fierce”.
“She hasn’t lost herself,” the actress went on.
“She’s still this fierce, strong female that she’s always been.”
Dani went on to explain how Tracy and daughter Jess, played by Emma Maggie Davies, are “a bit more like friends” as she gave birth “a bit younger”.
“They’re very different though,” she continued.
“Jess is quiet. She’s really good at school, she loves reading, whereas Tracy obviously wasn’t any one of those things.
“Tracy is a fiercely protective mother and does everything for Jess.”
Fans of the show will be delighted to know the age-old rivalry between Tracy and fellow Dumping Ground alum Justine Littlewood will continue.
Justine – played by Montanna Thompson – will also return for the new series and they continue to “butt heads”.
“Obviously that’s not going to go well [between them],” Dani jibed.
“They have butted heads since they were younger and nothing’s changed there.”
While the show was extremely popular among teenage girls in the 00s, Dani expects Tracy will still be a favourable character because “everyone can see a little bit of themselves in her.”
The One Show also saw the book’s author, Jacqueline Wilson, 75, admitted she was excited to see how Tracy has come along after all these years.
“For Tracy, her biggest thing as a child was not having a mum being there for her,” she said.
“Therefore, I thought the biggest thing in her adult life would be to be that mum.”
My Mum Tracy Beaker, which is based on a book of the same name, is due to air in late February on CBBC and BBC iPlayer.
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