How Tracy Beaker’s Mia McKenna-Bruce, 26, sealed BAFTAs ‘Rising Star’

She dreamed of stardom from the age of 5 after turning into obsessive about Shirley Temple.

And 21 years on Mia McKenna-Brown has hit the massive time in her personal proper after she took dwelling the Rising Star Bafta for her function in coming-of-age movie How To Have Sex.

She pipped Bridgerton star Phoebe Dynevor and Saltburn and Priscilla actor Jacob Elordi in a public vote however till final evening she was finest identified for enjoying Tee Taylor in Tracy Beaker Returns and its spin-off The Dumping Ground.

Her first Bafta marks a unprecedented six months for the 26-year-old star, who has gained her first main award in addition to having a child, nursing the little boy via intensive care, getting engaged, shopping for a brand new home and even adopting two canines.

But Bexley-born Mia is displaying no signal of slowing down and is planning on taking her younger household along with her on the highway as her film profession goes from power to power.

She stated final evening that her appearing success and turning into a younger mum is ‘like two goals have been coming true on the identical time’, including: ‘It’s been just like the present that retains on giving’ – though she admits to needing some extra sleep.

4ft 10ins Mia is balancing being a younger mum and one in every of Britain’s hottest stars on the age of 26. The actress cried as she praised her proud dad and mom Wayne and Angela, thanking them for ‘believing that five-year-old me may do that in the future’ – however in reality her first steps into showbiz got here when she began ballet aged two. 

And there have been extra tears as she praised her fiancé Tom Leach and their ‘stunning little boy’ Leo, who was born final August.  Tom, an actor himself, was additionally emotional after which laughed on display final evening as Mia declared: ‘What a bl**dy journey we’re having’.

They plan to marry subsequent yr, within the stunning historic venue Brympton House the place McKenna-Bruce filmed Persuasion for Netflix.

Her feedback on stage final evening have been a nod to how the couple have had a unprecedented and at instances, very robust six months, after their ‘child cub’ Leo entered the world. 

Describing the start she stated: ‘I used to be being violently sick. I could not preserve something down. The contractions had stopped, after which I used to be petrified, that, properly, I’d dilated to a degree, was I going to return’.

She stated that Leo acquired caught, they each caught an an infection from being in labour too lengthy, ‘then he had fluid on his lungs. So he was in intensive care and I was in the hospital as well’, she said.

‘They eventually brought him to me, after he’d began to get higher, and that first evening he simply screamed. The midwives have been popping in and saying, “Is everything OK?” And I used to be going, “I don’t know – I don’t know what to do!’’’

Salvation came in a surprising form. 

Molly-Mae from Love Island had been posting videos on TikTok and Instagram about her own baby, ‘and they helped because she was so honest. 

When I heard her say, “In the first couple of weeks, I didn’t know if I’d ever feel happy again,” I used to be, like, “OK, breathe, because it’s completely normal.” Then you’ll be able to undergo the motions a bit extra. It’s nonetheless petrifying, although, and also you suppose you’re doing one thing fallacious. Like, “I should have that mother instinct that everyone talks about, I should know what to do.”’, she advised the Mail in January.

Her first break got here aged 11 when she performed Jack Branning’s daughter Penny in EastEnders for 5 episodes, the place she was wheelchair certain after an accident.

But Mia McKenna-Bruce knew she wished to be an actress aged 5, after being impressed by Shirley Temple.

Miss McKenna-Bruce grew up in Bromley the eldest of three youngsters. Her dad and mom run an air-conditioning enterprise, however she made an early beeline for the performing arts.

At the age of two she was taking ballet classes and she or he spoke in an affected ‘Shirley Temple’ American accent for big chunks of her childhood – she thought that is what actors did.

She went on to bop within the West End manufacturing of Billy Elliot the Musical, then scored a long-running supporting function in The Story of Tracy Beaker, the CBBC adaptation of the vastly widespread Jacqueline Wilson novels.

Child star Shirley Temple was her inspiration.

She stated on the eve of Bafta Awards: ‘I used to be actually younger. About 5. The solely little one actress I knew of was Shirley Temple. I watched the identical documentary about her after college day by day. I took notes and even placed on an American accent, loopy stuff like that’.

How To Have Sex has made her a family title with a era of latest followers having beforehand been finest identified for her function Tracy Beaker Returns, and its spin-off, The Dumping Ground.

She spent half the yr on set and the remainder at Maidstone Grammar – however realised she was well-known when her poster was put up in a bus cease exterior her ladies college.

Her first correct function was in EastEnders when she was round 11. Parts in Doctors, The Bill and Billy Elliott the musical adopted.

But it was her 50-plus episodes of Tracy Beaker that made her title.

Most lately Mia has gone on to star in Netflix’s adaptation of Jane Austin’s Persuasion alongside A-listers like Dakota Johnson, Richard E. Grant and Henry Golding.

She has additionally appeared in The Witcher alongside Henry Cavill and in The Last Train to Christmas reverse Michael Sheen.

Her efficiency in How To Have Sex has wowed critics.

She is one in every of three teenage pals who jet off to Malia on the Greek island of Crete after ending their GCSEs.

The coming-of-age film takes a darker path as Mia’s character Tara, who’s a virgin, faces strain to have intercourse, elevating questions on consent.

The star stated on the pink carpet: ‘It’s the type of movie the place you watch it, you need to speak about it.

‘It was our objective to start out this dialog… It’s simply lots of phrase of mouth.

The 26-year-old joked that she hopes her little sisters, who don’t suppose ‘I’m cool’, will change their thoughts after her win final evening.

She would later meet the long run King.

As Prince William walked into the inexperienced room following the award ceremony, he smiled as he greeted the three younger actresses up for the Rising Star award.

‘It was very shut between all of you,’ he advised the abilities, earlier than turning to Mia to congratulate her.

He then advised her: ‘I have never but watched your movie. I feel it appeared such as you had lots of enjoyable all over’.

After revealing he hasn’t had time to ‘get via’ lots of the nominated movies, William stated: ‘It is a really very robust yr for classes.’

Mia has hinted that if she is trying to breakthrough in Hollywood, she would transfer her younger household along with her.

She stated final week: ‘I like, love, love my work. But now I adore it for an entire totally different cause, as a result of I’m like that is going to provide me the possibility to journey with Leo, it is going to give him such wonderful experiences.

‘He’s going to have the ability to look again in the future and be like, ‘Oh my God, my mum was on the BAFTAs and I used to be like six months previous’. Like, certainly he’ll suppose I’m a cool mum’.

After her look on a present with Giovanna Fletcher, her mom Angela stated: ‘I do know she is our daughter however listening to this podcast, we’re simply blown away’.

Mia has stated her college in Maidstone was instrumental in supporting her profession.

‘I used to be actually fortunate that I did work from the age of about seven however appearing as a baby to doing it as an grownup is a really totally different factor’, she stated.