Merlin to Wolfblood: Here are all the Bridgerton cast members who started out on CBBC

Maybe Tracy Beaker wasn’t lying about her mum being a movie star

6 months ago

It might come as a surprise to a lot of you to find out that Bridgerton isn’t the first time you’ve obsessed over the iconic British cast members; In fact, a lot of them would have appeared on your TV screens almost every night when you were a child on CBBC, whether you remember it or not.

CBBC was the starting point for quite a few Bridgerton cast members, and while it may seem like centuries ago that we were watching Tracy Beaker while we ate our tea, for a lot of the actors they had their children’s TV roles well into their adulthood. Here’s a rundown of all the members of The ‘Ton who’ve graced CBBC’s screens before, from Carly Beaker to Leonardo da Vinci.

Adjoa Andoh was head of M.I.9 AND a witch

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Lady Danbury is apparently a secret spy, because she appeared in children’s spy series M.I. High from season three to season five, replacing Victoria Wicks in the role of the head of M.I.9.

Adjoa also played Old Bethesta, a Neverside Witch in CBBC’s Wizards vs Aliens. She appeared in The Daughters of Stone in the third season, and the creepy make up she wore for the role is a far cry from the stunning looks that Lady Danbury can be seen in.

Jonathan Bailey was a famous painter

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Jonathan is apparently an expert in historical TV shows, as he took us back to 15th-century Florence in CBBC’s Leonardo from 2011-2012 when he was 23! The Anthony Bridgerton actor played the show’s title role, Leonardo da Vinci, for its entirety.

Simone Ashley was in Wolfblood

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All the mega-famous actors who also auditioned for each Wicked role

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Kate Sharma (now Bridgerton) may be the picture of elegance and grace, but actress Simone Ashley has joined her co-stars in the CBBC hall of fame through her role as Zuhra in Wolfblood. Wolfblood was Simone’s first acting role, and she appeared in series four for two episodes in 2016.

Sam Phillips was in ‘the craziest hotel in town’

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Colin’s competition in season three of Bridgerton came in the form of Lord Debling, a rich adventurer played by actor Sam Phillips. A less known fact, though, is that Sam also starred in Hotel Trubble, a CBBC sitcom about “the craziest hotel in town.” Rather than playing a wealthy lord, Sam was Jamie the bellboy in the show that ran from 2008-2011, and formed a third of the trio of protagonists.

Nicola Coughlan featured in a CBBC Christmas special

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While Nicola isn’t playing royalty in Bridgerton, she was able to try her hand at playing a Queen in CBBC’s Dodger Christmas Special in 2023, when she played Queen Victoria. The special was titled Coronation and is a part of the children’s drama Dodger (following the infamous pickpocket of the same name).

Claudia Jessie has solved more than one mystery

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Apparently, solving the mystery of Lady Whistledown isn’t enough for Eloise Bridgerton actress Claudine Jessie; she also starred as schoolgirl Shari in the online interactive mystery drama Dixi from 2014 to 2016. She’s been blessed with looking young for a long time, as she was around 25 when the show began! The series featured its characters solving online mysteries and was released via CBBC Online.

Ruth Gemmell played Tracy Beaker’s mum

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Bridgerton isn’t the first time that the Violet Bridgerton actress has played the mother of a main character. Back in 2004, then 36-year-old Ruth Gemmell took the role of Carly Beaker, Tracy Beaker’s elusive mum, in Tracy Beaker’s Movie of Me. Ruth’s CBBC character was nowhere near as sweet as the mother of the Bridgerton children, so we’re glad she got her chance to play a loving mum in Bridgerton.

Rupert Young got his fortune in Merlin

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Rupert plays Jack Featherington in Bridgerton season two, and while the character may have had his fortune taken from him in the newer series, Rupert played the revered knight Sir Leon in CBBC’s Merlin from series two to series five (2009-2012).