Shoppers were astonished when a woman began dancing during the opening of a new Bodycare store in Birmingham's Merry Hill shopping centre – only to discover she was a familiar face from children's television.
The woman, dancing enthusiastically to a remix of Britney Spears' Toxic, was wearing a Bodycare uniform complete with a bright orange polo shirt, which initially threw many people off the scent. As the crowd looked closer, they realised it was Montanna Thompson, best known for playing Justine Littlewood in The Story of Tracy Beaker, which first aired in 2002.
Fans React to the Unexpected Performance
Now 37, Thompson was celebrating the store opening, proving she is still an "icon" as she danced without a care, encouraging others in the crowd to join her. Fans took to social media to share their delight, with one suggesting she should be "put in the next Celebrity Big Brother" because she would make fantastic television.
Others praised her as a "lovely" person who "comes across so well" in interviews, in contrast to her on-screen childhood persona. One fan wrote: "She is such a sweetie. We did love her before, but even more so now we meet her inna di flesh. Love love love!" Another added: "She's exactly who I thought she would grow up to be."
Montanna Thompson's Career and Personal Life
Since her first appearance in The Story of Tracy Beaker, Thompson has reprised her role as Justine in Tracy Beaker Returns, My Mum Tracy Beaker, and The Beaker Girls. She and Dani Harmer, who played Tracy Beaker, have also appeared together on social media, lip-syncing to original Tracy Beaker content, which delighted fans.
One comment read: "Omg lol this is so cute! Mad we're all grown now lol feels like yesterday getting home watching you two lol." Thompson is also a mother to a son named Coby, born in 2017. In interviews, she has shared that both she and her son have Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a rare, hereditary skin condition that causes fragile skin to blister and tear easily.
