Dani Harmer

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Dani Harmer bigraphy, stories - English actress

Dani Harmer : biography

8 February 1989 –

Danielle Jane Harmer (born 8 February 1989) is an English television actress, presenter and singer. Harmer is best known for her portrayal as Herself in Dani’s House and Dani’s Castle Tracy Beaker in the self-titled CBBC programmes, The Story of Tracy Beaker, Tracy Beaker Returns and Tracy Beaker Survival Files. Harmer confirmed on Twitter that she will not appear in its spin-off series, The Dumping Ground. Apart from Tracy Beaker, Harmer played Molly Venables in the BBC sitcom, After You’ve Gone.

Dani also starred in her own children’s sitcom, Dani’s House from 2008 to 2012. A spin-off series to Dani’s House was confirmed to be Dani’s Castle, which began airing on CBBC in January 2013. Harmer has also occasionally presented continuity clips on the CBBC Channel. She also became a presenter on Friday Download in the first series, where she guest presented the ‘Style Download’ segment.

In 2008, Harmer branched into the music business and signed a £3m record deal. She recorded her debut album Superheroes in September 2009, and released the single and theme from Dani’s House, "Free", but it was never released and it was later confirmed she had given up her music career.

In March 2012, she also appeared in Let’s Dance for Sport Relief, alongside Outnumbered star, Tyger Drew-Honey. They both reached the final, and became joint runners-up. Harmer competed in the tenth series of the BBC ballroom dancing show, Strictly Come Dancing, in that year. She was paired up with Vincent Simone, and the couple were eliminated on the final night, finishing in fourth place.

Career

She made her stage debut at the age of 6 in the musical The Who’s Tommy in the West End. She has appeared in a number of pantomimes: Dolly Mixture in Snow White (2004), the title character in Peter Pan (2005, Alban Arena, 2006 in Worthing and 2010 in High Wycombe), Dick Whittington (2007, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre) and the title role in Cinderella alongside Joe Tracini (2011, York Barbican). Other stage credits include a 2005 production of The Wizard of Oz at the Sunderland Empire Theatre. Harmer appeared as an extra in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone; she was sitting in the Great Hall when the new students to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry took turns to visit the Sorting Hat. Her big break was when she landed the title role in CBBC’s dramedy series The Story of Tracy Beaker, which she starred in for five series and also the feature length film, Tracy Beaker’s Movie of Me. She also went to Redroof Theatre school as a child. Dani has been beloved by a lot of children by starring in The Story of Tracy Beaker, Tracy Beaker Returns, Dani’s House and Dani’s Castle

Her other TV credits include the ITV drama series Trial & Retribution, Casualty, My Family, Pie in the Sky, The 10th Kingdom, Beast, Touch Me, I’m Karen Taylor, "Beep Beep" in the British television series The Beeps, and the pilot for Coming of Age. She was one of the presenters: known as "packers" in the 2006 series of the Saturday morning show, Mighty Truck of Stuff.

In November 2008 Media Guardian reported that After You’ve Gone was to be cancelled by the BBC, due to ITV moving Coronation Street to the same slot on ITV1. The BBC had announced a fourth series of the show in January of that year to be aired in 2009; however, the series ended with a Christmas special in 2008. In March 2010, Harmer starred in The Wizard of Oz at The Journal Tyne Theatre in Newcastle, and again in 2012 at The Regent & Corn Exchange Theater in Ipswich, Suffolk.

Dani Harmer returned to the role of Tracy Beaker in early 2010 in the 13-episode BBC series Tracy Beaker Returns, in which her character had developed into a care worker and had written an autobiography about what life is like for children in care. Three series aired of Tracy Beaker Returns. It concluded on 23 March 2012. A spin-off has been confirmed but is not to feature Harmer. Dani is due to star in another TV show which will be called Dani’s Castle. This is a spin-off from the previous series called Dani’s House. This will air in 2013.