Mabel Addison, the young actress who plays Clemmie Reed on ITV's Emmerdale, has lifted the lid on the strict rules child actors must follow on set. In a behind-the-scenes Instagram post, the nine-year-old's family detailed the licensing requirements and time limits that govern her work.
Licensing and School Permission
According to the post, the first step is obtaining a letter from Mabel's school granting permission for a set number of days off. That letter is then submitted, along with detailed paperwork, to the local council, which issues a licence allowing her to miss a certain number of school days within a specific timeframe.
Once the licence is in place, the family must follow "very strict" licensing requirements, meaning Mabel must be accounted for whenever she is filming, resting off set, or taking meal breaks.
Strict Filming Limits
The caption explained: "There are also strict limits on how long children can work. Mabel can only film continuously for two and a half hours, and no more than five hours in total in a day. She also can't be on the filming site for more than nine hours in total."
It added: "Once a child is over the age of nine, they're allowed to film for up to five hours a day. If they're under nine, however, the limit is three hours. That's why productions will sometimes cast a child who looks younger than they are, because they can legally work for longer."
Balancing Work and Childhood
Mabel's family also noted: "You might also notice that there can be long periods where you don't see children in a soap at all. That's often because the production is saving them for a particular storyline, or simply because they can't be filming all the time."
They added: "There are strict limits on how much children can work, but it's also important that they maintain a normal life. They need the opportunity to enjoy a normal childhood while they're growing up. Productions have to balance filming with making sure the child's well being/everyday life always come first."
Mabel's Role on Emmerdale
Mabel joined the cast as Clemmie in 2022. Clemmie was introduced as the daughter of Beth Reed, a friend of Dawn Fletcher. After a brief spell in foster care, Dawn and her then-husband Billy were granted special guardianship of Clemmie in 2023. She currently lives at Home Farm alongside her younger brothers, Lucas (Noah Ryan Aspinall) and Evan (Malachi McKenzie).
Clemmie previously faced turmoil after Dawn began an affair with Joe Tate (Ned Porteous). The youngster caught the pair kissing, with Joe quickly threatening her to keep quiet. Joe has since made amends and is engaged to Dawn, who is expecting his first child. The upcoming wedding could face a shock twist after Billy tried to kiss Dawn this week.
Emmerdale airs weekday nights at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
