Justine Littlewood SPILLS The Truth About Tracy Beaker 👀 | Montanna Thompson

Spill With Will

In this episode of Spill With Will, Montanna Thompson, famously known as Justine Littlewood from Tracy Beaker, joins the host to reflect on her

Key takeaways

• Montanna Thompson and her son Kobe have both been diagnosed with Epidermochlysis Bullosa (EB), a rare genetic skin disease.
• Montanna originally auditioned for the lead role of Tracy Beaker but was cast as Justine Littlewood instead.
• The financial reality of her child acting years involved much of her earnings going directly toward expensive theatre school fees.
• She discusses the psychological difficulty of being typecast by a single iconic character during her formative years.
• The episode touches on the perceived regression in social representation for both racial equality and LGBT rights in modern media.

Main topics

• Tracy Beaker nostalgia
• Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) diagnosis
• Child acting industry realities

Notable quotes

I'm just acting.

Conclusion

A poignant look at the intersection of childhood fame and adult resili

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:00) It's Montana! Montana or Justin Littlewood? It's Moni today. Moni today. I Speaker 2 (0:06) lived on Tracy Buker every episode. You guys Speaker 1 (0:10) hated each other. It was war. Yeah, it was war like when we was younger. But we're good now. Yeah. I mean, we're not good now. We're good now. Yeah, if I get recognised, I'll say hi, nice to meet you. And they go, oh, you're not... in real life or you're not. You know what I'm Speaker 2 (0:22) saying? Speaker 1 (0:22) No, I'm not. I'm Speaker 2 (0:23) just Speaker 1 (0:23) acting. I'm Speaker 2 (0:24) going Speaker 1 (0:24) to just say it. We've been diagnosed with EB, which is epidermalosis bullosa. What is that? It's like a rare skin disease. You know, had some people say I was pulling out the race car, but I did mention my cartoon was like see-through. And maybe when I was younger, I did kind of take that a bit in myself as a child growing up. Then to have a cartoon that was basically see-through and grey, I never understood that. Speaker 2 (0:53) and welcome back to another episode of Spill With Will. Before we get into the episode, make sure you guys subscribe. I am so, so excited for today's guest. It's Montana! Montana or Justin Littlewood? Speaker 1 (1:07) It's morning today. Morning today. Speaker 2 (1:10) Right, you're a bit nervous, so I thought, let's get the balls balls out. So this is the Pornstar Passionfruit Martini one, which is one of my favourites. Have you had this one before? I Speaker 1 (1:18) like Speaker 2 (1:18) the Speaker 1 (1:18) Pornstar Speaker 2 (1:18) Martini. Montana. Speaker 1 (1:20) Merci beaucoup. Cheers, my love. Cheers, darling. It's an honour to have you on the pod. It's an honour for you to accept me and have me in. Thank Speaker 2 (1:27) you. Do you know what's exciting? Whenever I've told anyone that you're... Anyone I've told, I've told a few people that you're coming on the podcast. Everyone is gagged. Everyone is gagged. Everyone's like, oh my God, no way. Because you are TV nostalgia. Speaker 1 (1:41) Cheers to that. Speaker 2 (1:42) Cheers to that. Thank you guys. Cheers to Montana. Speaker 1 (1:44) Cheers to Speaker 2 (1:45) being TV nostalgia. Oh, cheers to it. Speaker 1 (1:47) for Speaker 2 (1:47) liking the programme and all that. Oh my God. It is my childhood. I don't think you realise I lived on Tracy Buecher every episode. I even really watched when they did like a reboot. You know when you guys came back? Yeah, Speaker 1 (2:00) I remember that. Speaker 2 (2:02) I have been a Tracy Buecher stan for freaking years. I think though I was, I think it made me more naughty though. Speaker 1 (2:09) I've heard this. I've heard this. I'll be honest. Speaker 2 (2:11) I gave Speaker 1 (2:11) you a Speaker 2 (2:11) mouth. Speaker 1 (2:12) Do you know what? My cousin stopped my... Well, I call her my niece, but I suppose she's like my second niece. But yeah, stopped her from watching Beaker because she thought she was Justine and the attitude afterwards was just, yeah. I felt like I was maybe definitely a bit of Justine at some point in school, for sure. Speaker 2 (2:28) Yeah. How was it? It was good, you know. Right, let's get into it. Let me get to know you first before we get into Tracy Beaker. That's obviously a whole entire chapter of your life that we all know you for. But I want to start off, like, what are Speaker 1 (2:42) you doing now? What's going on? Who is Montana Speaker 2 (2:44) now? Okay, Speaker 1 (2:45) so I'm a mum, obviously. She's a mum. I'm a mumma. I've got my little bubba. He's doing really well. Speaker 1 (2:54) I'm teaching, but I have took a break from work recently from teaching, but I am opening something in January. Ooh, exciting. It was supposed to be this year, but setbacks and things. But it's okay because, you know. Speaker 1 (3:13) things happen Speaker 2 (3:14) yeah you Speaker 1 (3:16) know um there was a bit of health problems that me that I went through but you know we're fine now me and my son we've both basically been I'm just say it we've been diagnosed with EB which is epidermalosis bullosa so it's what is Speaker 2 (3:30) that it's Speaker 1 (3:30) like a skin is skin rare skin disease so we've been diagnosed with that Is it like genetics? It's genetics. Yeah, so Kobe had it first and that's how I found out I had it because it's hereditary. And I guess it's Speaker 2 (3:44) a Speaker 1 (3:44) skin disease. Yeah, so it's called epidermolysis bullosa, but you can get different types of it. So I think the real dystrophic EB is quite bad. Like they blister with, like when we cut ourselves, we scab. Speaker 2 (3:57) They Speaker 1 (3:57) will blister and stay open, the wounds. They're called like butterfly skin. if you have it really, really severe, you know, like just touching the skin or rubbing it can, you know, break the skin basically if you scratch or. Oh, really? Yeah. So, I mean, so we're dealing with that and there's no cure for it. So that kind of put me back a bit. That's so annoying, Speaker 2 (4:20) isn't it? Speaker 1 (4:21) Yeah, it put me back a bit. But, you know. Kobe's so strong with it and I'm, you know, it's what happens when you get ill. You just deal with it, you know, and just get on with it, guys. Honestly, I Speaker 2 (4:32) got really ill in January and I just got, oh, Speaker 1 (4:35) I had kidney stones but Speaker 2 (4:36) really, really bad kidney stones. Oh, hon, tell me about it. I was, I felt like I was pregnant but I wasn't actually pregnant. Speaker 1 (4:43) No, well, it's painful. My friend, she's been waiting on the list for a month, well, probably a... more than a couple years now for her kidney stones to be removed. Shut up. Yeah, I think maybe she got a bit scared a few times and pulled out of the surgery. It's quite invasive. From Speaker 2 (5:01) the surgery, what I've heard is that they fully have to remove the kidney stones and get inside of you. So it's quite a, it's not an easy procedure. Yeah. But no, I did end up getting mine removed. Well done. But it was only because it was so bad. So I understand what like health issues like. Yeah. And it just, you know, it just comes Speaker 1 (5:20) out of nowhere. It does. Yeah. And yeah, I suppose we just got to just move forward. Exactly. Yeah. Speaker 2 (5:27) How old is your son? Speaker 1 (5:28) He is nine now. Oh, he's a baby. He's still a bubba, yeah. Nine going on 19 sometimes. Speaker 2 (5:36) Do you just have just the one kid? Just the Speaker 1 (5:38) one, yeah. I would have liked more, but, you know. Has he watched Tracy B. Carr? He has. He didn't like it first when he was a baby because he was like, no, two mums don't like it. But, yeah, he likes it now. He watches it. Like, sometimes I'll come in, I'm like. I can hear the theme tune. I'm like, what are you watching, Kobe? And he's like, I can Speaker 2 (5:57) make my way. Yeah. And he's like, I'm watching Speaker 1 (5:59) Beaker Bob. And I'm like, oh, okay. Doesn't matter what will come my way. Speaker 2 (6:04) Come on. Believe in me. I will win someday. That was kind of good. Period. Speaker 1 (6:12) Cheers Speaker 2 (6:13) to that. Cheers to that. Cheers to that. Speaker 1 (6:14) Cheers Speaker 2 (6:14) to both of you. Can you sing? Speaker 1 (6:17) A little bit. In the shower. Speaker 2 (6:19) Literally. Right, so you've brought some makeup, Beth. I did. I did my makeup this morning. Because Speaker 1 (6:24) we know Will's Speaker 2 (6:24) good with makeup, guys. Period. And I'm not. Speaker 1 (6:27) Okay. So... I've got you. But when you Speaker 2 (6:30) were doing Tracy Beaker, you obviously got your makeup done, right? But you always had Speaker 1 (6:35) this black liner. What Speaker 2 (6:37) was going on there? Do you Speaker 1 (6:38) know what? I would have probably been happy to have that. It was the sideburns I weren't happy with. That was awful, the sideburns. But I probably would have been quite happy to have a bit of black liner or whatever here and there. Maybe a party was happening or something. And I liked Justine's clothes. She had. She was a baddie. Yeah. One thing, even Danny was like, Bloody hell, Moni, your clothes, like your outfits. I know, I know, because Tracy, some of her outfits. Speaker 2 (7:07) Tracy's Speaker 1 (7:08) outfits, bless her. Yeah. She's going through it. She was going through it, man. And, you know, maybe if they were a bit... Do you know who Speaker 2 (7:13) else was going through it in the wardrobe department? Elaine Dupain. Speaker 1 (7:17) Elaine Dupain had it rough. Speaker 2 (7:18) Her hair Speaker 1 (7:19) was all Speaker 2 (7:20) over the Speaker 1 (7:20) place. Oh, do you know what? I was looking at Nisha's pictures the other day from... the B cassette when... Is Speaker 2 (7:26) that Speaker 1 (7:26) her real name, Nisha? Nisha, yeah. She's so lovely. I Speaker 2 (7:29) don't know your real names. I just know you as your character because that's literally who I grew up watching. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So what Speaker 1 (7:34) about Nisha? So Nisha, she is lovely. Yeah, but yeah. Shout out, Nisha. Hi, Nisha. But I was looking at the photos and it was like something like Groovy Chick from the 90s, Elaine the Pain. I was just like, wow. And the little... She's the OG Bob. Yeah. She had a bob and it was a bit spiky. Yeah, Speaker 2 (7:53) and she Speaker 1 (7:53) had the bangs that came. Yeah. She Speaker 2 (7:57) was. My icon. Looking back, I'm like, and Mike as well. Oh, yeah, Mike. Speaker 1 (8:02) Mike, I love Mike. I love him so much. Speaker 2 (8:05) Right, you've got some makeup bits. Do you know what I want to show everyone? The Speaker 1 (8:09) eyelash. Okay, yes. I don't know what I'm doing, but Will does. He was like, this one, you mean? Yes. I've seen some Speaker 2 (8:15) girls use this. This is a magnetic eyeliner eyelash suit. So you stick this Speaker 1 (8:19) on. Speaker 2 (8:19) The Speaker 1 (8:19) only thing Speaker 2 (8:19) I can just about do, yeah. Oh, my God. Is it? Oh my, can you, do you put these on? Speaker 1 (8:26) Yeah, so I'm probably doing it wrong. So someone can write in the comments, say, no girl, you're doing it wrong because I probably am. But this is why I'm here to get some help. Oh my Speaker 2 (8:33) God, I'm so excited for this. You're Speaker 1 (8:36) supposed to put this on. Like maybe what, this is how I do it. I don't know if it's right, but I put it on like a flick, you know, like, but I'll make mine really thick. And is it actually a liner pen? Yeah, but it's magnetic. It's like a liner pen. But then that will stick. Speaker 2 (8:52) Oh my God, iconic. Oh my God, it is like a line of hair. Oh my God, it's dark. Speaker 1 (8:56) Yeah, Speaker 2 (8:57) yeah, yeah. Speaker 1 (8:57) So I go all in, right? I'll do like the big... Oh my God. And then I'll try Speaker 2 (9:02) and Speaker 1 (9:02) push that as close as I can to the... To the eyes. To the eyes, maybe. To the eyes, maybe. To the eyes. What Speaker 2 (9:09) makeup do you actually use, like skincare-wise? Speaker 1 (9:12) Okay, so I don't really use a lot of foundation. Speaker 2 (9:15) Okay, you're a clean girl. Speaker 1 (9:17) Yeah, because you know what? I just never have done. But as I'm getting older, Speaker 2 (9:20) I've got freckles and stuff. So sometimes Speaker 1 (9:22) I do. I mean, Speaker 2 (9:24) your skin's stunning. Speaker 1 (9:26) Oh, thank you, darling. Speaker 2 (9:27) I mean... Spots, pores, where? I can't see them. Do Speaker 1 (9:30) you know what? I don't use loads of products. That's Speaker 2 (9:33) the Speaker 1 (9:33) trick. Yeah. Speaker 2 (9:33) You bitch. Yeah, but a lot of people, they Speaker 1 (9:35) do. They think they've got to use loads of products and it makes your skin worse. Speaker 2 (9:39) Yeah, literally. Speaker 1 (9:39) It does. Me, seven steps. No, see, you don't need it. You've got good skin as well. I can see. Speaker 2 (9:45) But I Speaker 1 (9:45) do Speaker 2 (9:45) agree. Sometimes when you're doing like step one, step three, step four, you're doing so many different steps. It does make your skin a bit like. Speaker 1 (9:51) Yeah. Yeah. I think I think sometimes less like just a bit of, you know. Speaker 1 (9:57) Asterix cream or whatever. Standard cream. Speaker 2 (10:00) Did you want to put some makeup on today or are you just chilling? Should we just chill? Should we just chill? This is me. I don't need that. No, I love that. Speaker 1 (10:07) I love Speaker 2 (10:07) that. Cheers to you. Cheers. Cheers to you. Cheers to the girls, period. Yeah. Speaker 1 (10:14) We've got to do that with our nails because I wore these especially for you today, baby. Your Speaker 2 (10:17) nails Speaker 1 (10:17) are so stunning. When I was coming Speaker 2 (10:19) to Speaker 1 (10:19) see you, I was like, come on. How did you find me, by the way? So, well, I was sent your... your thing and I was like oh he's too fierce he's just too fierce like the makeup the nails I was like gotta try you know when um Speaker 2 (10:35) you gave me an eye look she was like wait is this how I think it is I was looking at your profile oh my Speaker 1 (10:40) god yeah no so I saw you and I dm'd I was like yep I'm loving it love your style I was gagged gag let's do this baby Speaker 2 (10:47) absolutely I was like it's an honor to have you on the board oh thank you right I've got should we play a game Yeah. Right, okay. Well, I've got some, I've got my Tracy Beaker questions, but my first game is, Speaker 1 (10:58) bog Speaker 2 (10:59) off or come in. Speaker 1 (11:00) So bog off Speaker 2 (11:02) is absolutely not. Speaker 1 (11:03) Yeah. Speaker 2 (11:03) Come in is, welcome to the dumping ground. Speaker 1 (11:06) Okay. Speaker 2 (11:06) Okay. Okay, let's go.