Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Aug 02, 2025

Tracy Beaker: Actress Dani Harmer trolled online with 'fat' comments

Tracy Beaker: Actress Dani Harmer trolled online with 'fat' comments

As Tracy Beaker, Dani Harmer has played one of the most iconic roles in children's TV for nearly two decades.

CBBC says her most recent three-part series, My Mum Tracy Beaker, has been its most successful programme launch ever.

But Dani says abusive online comments she's received about her appearance has taken some of the shine off its success.

"It shouldn't affect me but I'm a human being," she tells Radio 1 Newsbeat.

Although she says the overwhelming majority of opinions have been positive, a small minority are "horrible" and are the ones she thinks about when she goes to bed.

"I am an actor and I'm used to criticism. But that doesn't mean a random person can sit behind their keyboard and let me know that I'm fat."

Dani was 13 when she debuted as Tracy Beaker in 2002, at a time when social media barely existed.

"I was so lucky because I don't know if my skin would have been thick enough to have dealt with it back then."

She's urging people to be kinder on social platforms and says it's taken her a long time to find her voice and "speak up things I don't agree with".

"Social media should be such a positive place but at the moment I don't want to even open my phone. I've just got such bad anxiety that someone's going to say something.

"Life is hard enough as it is. Let's spread some positivity and not make it harder for each other. We don't want a repeat of what happened to Caroline Flack. She was such a lovely woman."

She understands that sometimes people are "trying to get a rise" out of her but it's hard "not to respond back".

"I'm 32 now. I can't even imagine what younger people have to go through."

Although if we're talking about Tracy, you can imagine the two words she'd say to those people: "BOG OFF."

Justine Littlewood (Montanna Thompson, left) comes face-to-face with Tracy again

In the latest series, Tracy's 10-year-old daughter Jess deals with the arrival of her mum's new boyfriend Sean, played by Jordan Duvigneau.

Dani's now a parent herself and admits that although it completely changes you as a person you "really don't lose your true self".

"I knew I wanted to keep Tracy exactly how she was but I also wanted to show she had matured and was being less selfish.

"Since I've been doing this, it's always been nice to have a strong female character on kids' TV. She's bossy, sassy and knows exactly what she wants."

The fans also went into overdrive when she came face to face with her old nemesis from the foster home Justine Littlewood, played by Montanna Thompson.

The BBC says on iPlayer, My Mum Tracy Beaker was streamed 2.1m times in its first three days of availability (12-14 February).

"I never expected those numbers," says Dani.

"I've been so overwhelmed I can barely speak."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
×