List of The Story of Tracy Beaker characters
This is a list of characters that were introduced in CBBC's The Story of [|Tracy Beaker]. The series is based on the book of the same name by Jacqueline Wilson. It ran on for five series from 2002 to 2005. The series was followed by Tracy Beaker Returns that ran for three series from 2010 to 2012 and then The Dumping Ground that has aired since 2013. Connor Byrne has played the role of [|Mike Milligan] for all three programmes although he left at the end of The Dumping Ground's seventh series. Dani Harmer, Lisa Coleman and Montanna Thompson reprised their roles as [|Tracy] Beaker, Cam Lawson and Justine Littlewood for Tracy Beaker Returns, and again in My Mum Tracy Beaker.
Cast
Main characters
Tracy Beaker
Mike Milligan
Michael Kevin Lucius "Mike" Milligan MBE, made his first appearance on 8 January 2002 in series 1 of The Story of Tracy Beaker during the episode "Tracy Returns to The Dumping Ground" and departed in "The End!" but he returned in series 5 during the episode "Caring and Sharing" as a temporary care worker. He became head care worker in "Operation Careworker". Mike appeared in all 3 series of Tracy Beaker Returns and the first 7 series of The Dumping Ground. Mike is the longest-serving character in the Tracy Beaker franchise, being in the very first episode back in 2002, leaving in Series 7, Episode 24 in 2019.Mike is tall and slim, with grey hair and blue eyes. He is portrayed as a lovable, kind but firm guardian to the children in his care, able to deliver anger and humour to the children in equal doses. He has shared many emotional moments with the children. He is seen as a father figure to many of them, in particular to Tracy, Justine, Peter, Carmen, Tee, Gus, and Harry, something they have mentioned.
Mike makes his first appearance in the first episode of The Story of Tracy Beaker; he is a care worker at Stowey House, and has been for some time – he is already on good terms with Tracy Beaker, thinking she's a 'good kid on the whole'. He leaves at the end of series 1 after an emergency call in another care home. Mike returns in series 5 as Elm Tree House's new chef. When head care worker, [|Shelley Appelton], decides to leave Elm Tree House she holds interviews for possible head care workers, who none of the young people like, so they beg Mike to take up the role, which he does.
The character of Mike returns in Tracy Beaker Returns, appearing in every episode of the show; it is implied that he never left Elm Tree House and continued to act as head care worker. Mike is first seen with [|Gina Conway] when he is saying that they need more staff. He is then seen collecting [|Liam O'Donovan] from the local police station and met up with Tracy after she is arrested for fraud. Mike offers her a job at the Dumping Ground because it is short-staffed, with only himself and [|Gina] working there. As a result of this, Tracy and Mike get to know each other again and become closer. In the third series of the show, Mike is offered an MBE and accepts it, and later in the series, he only just survives when a roof falls on him.
Mike continues to appear as Head Care Worker throughout "The Dumping Ground"; in the first episode he leaves to go on holiday, only for chaos to occur at Elm Tree House until he returns at the end of the second episode, although he knows nothing about it as Gina worries he may not take another holiday again. In the eighth episode of the fourth series [|Carmen Howle] reports Mike to the police, as Mike's car has been broken into, with Carmen file inside the car, and it had been stolen. However, it is revealed that [|Ryan Reeves] took the file as revenge for Mike telling the kids about his history, though he was only protecting Ryan. Mike forgives Ryan and agrees not to tell everyone. They end their feud. He later marries Fiona whom he dated 30 years ago in Series 6 Episode 24.
In the Series 7 episode, "Reunion", it is revealed that he has a twin brother named Peadar, who both grew up in a bad care home. He returns to Ireland, where he was born. He meets his mother, Sheila, and patches up his strained relationship with his brother. In the finale, he decides to leave Ashdene Ridge to return to Ireland, to be with his family. This retcons the backstory of Mike, whose character had originally revealed contradictory elements of his history in Series 5 of The Story of Tracy Beaker. Formally, Mike had suggested that his father had walked out on his mother during his teens, and indicates to [|Jackie] that he does not understand the perspective of living as a child in care. Mike does reveal the existence of his brother during this series, however, while not specifically indicating that this brother is an identical twin.
Cam Lawson
Camilla "Cam" Lawson is a struggling turned successful author, and Tracy's eventual adoptive mother.Cam makes her début appearance when she visits Stowey House in series 1. Also an aspiring author, Tracy tries to get her attention by unsuccessfully using Adele's makeup. When Cam reads her stories, she is impressed and makes a number of return visits. Having formed a bond with Cam, Tracy asked her to use her investigative skills to find her birth mother. Cam initially agrees. However, she abandons her mission having learned from Jenny that her mother has deliberately severed ties with her daughter. Initially upset with Cam, Tracy forgives her. Having been asked by Tracy on numerous occasions to be her foster mother, Cam eventually agrees at the end of series 1.
Unfortunately, the foster placement is short lived when Tracy accidentally sets fire to Cam's kitchen. With the damages being so severe that Cam can no longer look after her properly, Tracy returns to the Dumping Ground. Whilst Tracy initially blocks Cam from her life they eventually make up and rekindle their relationship as friends. Whilst they see each other regularly, Cam is hesitant to foster her again. When she learns that Tracy is being fostered by Ben's aunt and uncle, she is deeply upset. However, Tracy eventually decides not to be fostered and remains at the Dumping Ground.
In the third season, Cam leaves for New York for a writing course, but returns after she hears that Tracy is hospitalised for appendicitis. Cam writes a novel about a girl in care whose character is based upon Tracy. Cam falls out with Tracy again after the latter reads the ending and discovers that her inspiring character does not get fostered. They eventually reconcile.
In 'The Movie of Me', Cam decides to foster Tracy again. However, Tracy's birth mother turns up and initially seems willing to take Tracy back into her care. Tracy goes to find her mum after she leaves, having fallen out with care workers. Cam is distraught and as soon as she finds out where she is, she pursues her with Justine in tow. When they find her, Cam realises that Tracy's mum does not care for her and eventually fosters Tracy.
In series 4, Cam and Tracy are happily living together again. Tracy often returns to the Dumping Ground to visit her friends.
In series 5, Cam and Tracy are on holiday in Egypt, where Cam develops a relationship with Gary. When they return to England, Tracy angrily returns to the Dumping Ground when Gary moves in. Having shunned Cam once again, they reconcile in and Tracy starts to bond with Gary. This is short lived as Cam reveals that she and Gary are getting married. On the day of their wedding, Tracy, having eventually been convinced that Cam and Gary will not neglect her as a married couple, turns up at the wedding to hear them say "I do". Afterwards, Cam and Gary tell Tracy that they are adopting her, before they leave on their honeymoon.
Sometime between the end of the original series and the start of Tracy Beaker Returns, Cam and Gary divorce under unknown circumstances.
At the beginning of the first series, Tracy uses Cam's credit card to publish her autobiography, and is arrested. However, Cam agrees that she will drop the charges on the condition that Tracy pays her back. To earn money, Tracy finds employment as a trainee care worker at the Dumping Ground. In her first week, Tracy discovers that Cam and Mike had kept a letter from her birth mother a secret for years. At this point, there is a continuity error when Tracy exclaims that she has "never seen" her birth mother, in contradiction to flashbacks in series 1 of the original series, and the feature-length movie.
Tracy and Cam fall out, but as usual, they reconcile. In the series 1 finale, when Tracy announces that she has been offered a job in London and will be leaving, Mike asks Cam to foster another child. Cam disagrees, but Johnny overhears a later phone call saying that there is no point fostering again if Tracy is not going to move out, prompting him to decide to be interviewed by Tracy in another scheme to get himself and Tee fostered. When Cam learns of this, she goes to the Dumping Ground to see Johnny and Tee to tell them that it is not definitive that she will foster again.
In the second season, Cam fosters Lily Kettle after she falls off the roof of the Dumping Ground during a protest. In the final episode, Cam travels to New York. Whilst she was initially supposed to go for a few weeks, she announces that she has been given an opportunity to stay for six months, and that she has accepted it.
In the third season, Cam is still in New York and communicates with Tracy via the internet, eventually returning to England.
Cam is also seen in 'The Tracy Beaker Survival Files' where she is interviewed by Tracy.
In My Mum Tracy Beaker, it is revealed that she is a lesbian, as she meets and ends up marrying Mary Oliver, Jess' teacher.
Cam makes guest appearances throughout "The Beaker Girls"