Tracy Beaker’s Dani Harmer opened up about her weight gain to avoid ‘stupid trolls’

Dani Harmer has revealed she opened up about her weight gain ahead of her TV return in a bid to avoid negative comments from ‘stupid trolls’.

In an interview with FUBAR Radio, the Tracy Beaker actress, 32, admitted she spent the nation’s first lockdowns ‘eating away’ before she started shooting the CBBC reboot. 

The TV star insisted that while she wishes she could quit social media because of the online abuse, she is proud of her figure as she declared: ‘I’m a size 10 and no way in a million years is that big for goodness sake.’ 

‘No way is that big!’ Dani Harmer has revealed she opened up about her weight gain ahead of her TV return in a bid to avoid negative comments from ‘stupid trolls’

Joining hosts Bobby Norris and Stephen Leng on Access All Areas, the former children’s show icon said: ‘I was just mentioning it because now, obviously, we’ve been in lockdown, I haven’t been afraid of the chocolate biscuits. 

‘I didn’t think in a million years we were going to film this series during the pandemic. So, I was just like eating away. And then they were like, ”No, no, you, you are.” And I was like, ”Oh, great! I’m in perfect shape! Let’s do this!” 

I kind of wanted to get in there before all of these stupid trolls came after me going like, ”Oh, well, you’re fat now!” I’m like, ”Oh, yeah alright. Okay, sure! What else you got?” 

‘You know, and I’m a size 10 and no way in a million years is that big for goodness sake. But I’m just kind of expecting it.’

'I haven't been afraid of biscuits': The Tracy Beaker actress, 32, admitted she spent the nation's lockdowns 'eating away' before she started shooting the reboot (pictured as a size 6 in 2012)

‘I haven’t been afraid of biscuits’: The Tracy Beaker actress, 32, admitted she spent the nation’s lockdowns ‘eating away’ before she started shooting the reboot (pictured as a size 6 in 2012)

'I told her to stay off social media': The TV star fears others in the spotlight may not be as strong (pictured in My Mum Tracy Baker with on-screen daughter Emma Davies

‘I told her to stay off social media’: The TV star fears others in the spotlight may not be as strong (pictured in My Mum Tracy Baker with on-screen daughter Emma Davies

The acting coach also reflected on when her appearance was criticised during her stint on Strictly Come Dancing in 2012, stating: ‘I was a size six when I was on Strictly. I don’t think you could get that much smaller, but obviously I’m five foot.  

‘So obviously my size six isn’t going to look like a bloomin’ five foot ten model, do you know what I mean? It’s very different. I’m squashed, I’m little and it doesn’t look the same, right?

‘I personally wouldn’t have social media if it wasn’t so important now for kind of getting the message out there.’ 

Dani – who took on her legendary role two decades ago – confessed she’s become used to the judgment, but fears others in the spotlight may not be as strong.

'I have very thick skin': The TV star insisted that while she wishes she could quit social media because of the online abuse, she is proud of her figure

‘I have very thick skin’: The TV star insisted that while she wishes she could quit social media because of the online abuse, she is proud of her figure

The media personality shared: ‘I just worry about all the sort of like kids out there. I’m 32. I can take it. I have very thick skin. I’ve been on telly for like a million years now I’m used to it. 

‘But kind of my little Emma [Davis] who plays my daughter in Tracy Beaker, I just kind of wanted to warn her about it. I was like, ”You know what? Just stay off Twitter. It’s not worth it!” It’s really not worth it. I felt for a minute we were kind of on the cusp of everything changing. 

‘We had the such sad passing of Caroline Flack and then the Be Kind movement, which I was like, ”Oh, finally, I think people are going to realise that there are people behind these phones or whatever devices you’re using and we’re human beings.” 

‘Just because we have this weird job, it doesn’t mean that, you know, we don’t have feelings, we have emotions. And words hurt, they really, really hurt.

'Words hurt': The acting coach also reflected on when her appearance was criticised during her stint on Strictly Come Dancing in 2012 (pictured earlier this month)

‘Words hurt’: The acting coach also reflected on when her appearance was criticised during her stint on Strictly Come Dancing in 2012 (pictured earlier this month)

‘That Be Kind movement kind of lasted for like what? Five minutes? We need to get back to that. And it’s really important. I just really hope that this next generation coming up, are a bit more mindful and thoughtful.’ 

Dani previously insisted she will ‘never look like a Victoria’s Secret model’ as she branded her size 10 figure ‘fabulous’.  

The former singer penned an empowering comment to Twitter after recently revealing she was fat-shamed during her time on the BBC dance competition. 

Dani wrote: ‘I’m 5ft so obviously not going to ever look like a Victoria secret model but my goodness I’m fabulous xxx.’  

Body positive: The former singer previously insisted she will 'never look like a Victoria's Secret model' as she branded her size 10 figure 'fabulous'

Body positive: The former singer previously insisted she will ‘never look like a Victoria’s Secret model’ as she branded her size 10 figure ‘fabulous’

Leave a Comment