Actor Chris Slater, known for playing Frank Matthews in the CBBC series 'The Dumping Ground', has become engaged to a self-confessed super fan of the Tracy Beaker franchise. His fiancée, Sam Wilson, shared a video montage on TikTok showing photos of Slater on the children's show alongside recent footage of the couple, captioning it: 'He isn’t my childhood crush anymore… he’s my fiancé.'
Slater, who has cerebral palsy, appeared in the spin-offs 'Tracy Beaker Returns' and 'The Dumping Ground' after being discovered by talent scouts during a local theatre production. He secured the role after two auditions, describing acting as 'just a hobby' at the time. Reflecting on the show's impact, he said: 'It really is quite rewarding that the issues tackled are what kids could be going through and knowing we could be helping them with their problems.'
The original 'The Story of Tracy Beaker' aired from 2002 to 2005, starring Dani Harmer as the titular character. The franchise later expanded to include several spin-offs, including 'The Dumping Ground' which ran from 2013 to 2021. Slater's character Frank Matthews was a resident of care homes Elmtree House II and Ashdene Ridge, who lived with his grandfather Eric before being taken into care.
