Ranked: The truly most mad and bizarre moments from The Story of Tracy Beaker

The whole musical episode was a fever dream


Our generation lives and breathes Tracy Beaker. It was a top-class TV show and it reigns on in our hearts and minds. It served us some real iconinc looks in its time and we will always be grateful for that.

But, saying all of this, we cannot forget just how batshit crazy it truly was. For exmaple, have we just forgotten about that whole musical episode? Or has anyone unpacked the fact Tracy ate a worm purely because Justine dared her to? It was pure madness and we lapped it up.

Here is a ranking of the maddest moments from The Story of Tracy Beaker which no one thought to question:

8. Anytime Tracy cried and blamed her hay fever was weird

Some of the shit kids come out with is strange but what’s weirder is when they’re kids from the Dumping Ground. For five whole series, Tracy Beaker kept saying she had hay fever when she was obviously crying. Yes this might not be that mad, but this was a HUGE ick.

7. Wolfie who thought he was an actual wolf????

STRANGE boy

If you don’t remember him it’s because he had absolutely zero main character energy. Literally zilch. The only thing which keeps him living rent free in my mind is his burning desire to be a wolf.

This was probably when I was first introduced to toxic masculinity. Wolfie’s desire to be a wolf was just absurd. He was also randomly given a grand by his dad and everyone begged him to splash the cash on them.

6. Tracy botching her hair dye job

Look, we’ve all been there and experienced a DIY hair dye job going wrong. It’s part and parcel of growing up. But what makes this just that little bit extra weird is the fact Tracy wanted to go blonde but ended up going green.

5. Ben lying about sleeping rough

Ben sprained his ankle and Mike took him back home with Tracy. This seems a fairly normal thing, right? Wrong because at this moment, Tracy realised Ben actually lived in a sodding mansion when he had been telling her that he lived on the streets. This was quite fucked up.

4. Tracy eating a literal worm just because Justine dared her to

Primary school aged me watching Tracy Beaker eat a worm gave me a victim complex. It was so uncalled for and unnecessary. Who let this happen??? Not to mention moments before Tracy consumed the worm, Justine literally one down her trousers. Her TROUSERS.

JUST LOOK AT IT

3. Producers forcing Marco to hang upside down from a tree whilst dressed like a bat

It’s fair to say that Marco’s entire wardrobe was mad. The things the producers got this kid to wear were unnatural. I get it’s normal for kids to dress up and whatever, but the producers really did mug off Marco with his bizarre costumes. What were the producers thinking???

2. Cam straight up refused to feed Tracy any nutritional meals

After spending all the money for the weekly shop on nuggets and lemonade, Cam forces Tracy to eat it as part of teaching her a lesson on the value of money. Is this child abuse? It’s very possible that it could be. Cam was so weird and should have been locked up.

1.  That entire musical episode

This whole episode just felt like a fever dream if I’m honest. The whole thing was horrifying and scarred me for life. None of them could sing well to be honest and Cam’s performance was the worst thing I have ever had to endure. She had a Chicago vibe to her and it made me feel so uncomfortable. What the fuck even was this episode????

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• The Story of Tracy Beaker served us some looks, but these were the most iconic

• I rewatched all of Tracy Beaker start to finish and wtf even was this show?

• This is where the Tracy Beaker characters would go to uni