Bella Ramsey, a Faithful on the hit BBC One series Celebrity Traitors, has spoken candidly about the difficulties of growing up in the public eye. The 23-year-old actor, known for roles in The Last of Us and Game of Thrones, has been one of the dark horses of season two, seeing through Traitor Richard E Grant's lies.
Early fame and education struggles
Ramsey earned BAFTA, Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy nominations for their role as Ellie in The Last of Us and was featured on the Time 100 Next list of rising stars in 2023. Born in Nottingham but raised in Leicestershire, they began online schooling at age 12 and have spoken about the challenge of balancing education with fame.
In a previous interview with the Standard, Ramsey explained they left school after feeling like “everyone was put in a box”. “There was no room for personalisation,” they added. “In acting, I like it because every take, I try to make it a little bit different. I wasn't popular in Year 7 at all.
“I just didn’t care about social expectations or anything. I was just myself. I was hoping that it could just carry on and I was wanting it to just not affect anything at school but it really did in terms of both education and friendships.”
Coming home and staying grounded
After turning to acting full-time, Ramsey has travelled the globe for work. Speaking to LeftLion, they reflected on returning home: "I was born in Nottingham and I live in Leicestershire, and I think coming home is a mixed bag. It’s a relief, in a way, because it’s familiar. But in another way, I feel more anonymous in the big cities, because there are so many people and nobody cares about you.
"When I'm back home, I definitely lose that a little bit. You have to get used to being in a cafe eating soup and having someone come up to you and go, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re Bella!’ But it can be really nice to have those interactions, and I love getting back to my family - and also my football team."
Despite international fame, Ramsey opened a pre-loved fashion store in Leicester in 2022, reflecting their love of sustainable fashion. They told Pukaar News at the time: "Peace building is one of the most important aspects of securing a future for the world, especially in more vulnerable communities, so I’m really pleased to be here to support that."
Feeling patronised as a child actor
In 2023, Ramsey spoke further about their struggles as a child actor in Hollywood. They told The Independent that they “didn’t like the separation” between kids and adult performers.
“The thing I hated the most was being patronised. I didn’t like the fact that I could only be on set for a certain amount of time, and had to go and do tutoring,” they explained. “I get why the hours protections for child actors are phenomenally important — but I hated feeling like I was lesser or separate from the adult cast.”
Celebrity Traitors returns to BBC One tonight at 8pm.
