Bella Ramsey is only 20, but they are already considered one of the UK’s most talented actors – despite leaving one of their most famous TV roles as a result of anorexia.
Nottingham-born Bella, who is currently portraying Kelsey Morgan in Time, has been acting since they were a child. Their very first TV role couldn’t have been more impressive – they won the part of Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones.
Bella made their professional acting debut as fierce young noblewoman Lyanna Mormont in season six of HBO’s Game of Thrones in 2016. The role quickly became a fan favourite and saw Bella return for the next two seasons.
They then bagged the coveted role of Mildred Hubble in The Worst Witch. However, Bella left the role after three series, and later admitted the cause was their private battle with anorexia.
Why did Mildred Hubble actor Bella Ramsey quit The Worst Witch?
Bella is known for playing the titular character Mildred Hubble in the newest adaptation of The Worst Witch for which they won the Young Performer BAFTA in 2019.
Anyone with kids the right age will have seen the BBC adaptation, based on the 1974 novel by Jill Murphy. The series followed schoolgirl Mildred, who discovered she was a witch. She subsequently enrolled at a special school where she learnt more about her powers.
The show, which is available to watch on BBC iPlayer and Netflix, was a huge hit with younger audiences, and kept Bella as its main character for three series from 2017 to 2020. However, they were replaced by The Larkins star Lydia Page after stepping down from the role.
Sharing the news with fans at the time, Bella wrote on Instagram: “It was completely my decision to say goodbye for reasons I can’t really go into but to everyone reading this, please prioritise your mental health and do what’s right for you.”
Bella Ramsey quit The Worst Witch because of anorexia
Bella later told Elle magazine that they left The Worst Witch because of their secret battle with anorexia nervosa. They went on to credit their Christian faith as a factor in their subsequent recovery.
Non-binary actor Bella joined an amateur theater group at the age of three, and describes themselves as “very much a loner”. They told the magazine that they “didn’t really have any friends in secondary school”, however that all changed after they appeared in Game of Thrones.
They explained: “Suddenly everybody wanted to be my friend and talk to me. I guess that’s the first time that I ever felt something was shifting in my life.”
They started online homeschooling soon after, and continued to film two additional seasons of Game of Thrones. During this same time, they were playing Mildred Hubble in The Worst Witch.
Bella admitted they loved the role, but found it difficult. Still a child, they struggled during the 16 weeks spent filming away from home. And they subsequently developed what they would later understand to be an eating disorder.
Part 1.
So…it’s world mental health day. I’ve been wondering when a good time would be to share my story. And today is the day. Just over a year ago I was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, although this illness had a hold of me for a year or so before that.
— Bella Ramsey (@BellaRamsey) October 10, 2018
How did Bella Ramsey recover from anorexia?
After three seasons of The Worst Witch, Bella had mostly recovered from anorexia nervosa but made the decision to concentrate on their mental health. They later credited their recovery on social media to their life-long relationship with Christianity.
In 2018, they shared a series of tweets for World Mental Health Day about their experience with the eating disorder, in which they said that their Christianity had helped them recover from the illness.
They said: “So… it’s World Mental Health Day. I’ve been wondering when a good time would be to share my story. And today is the day. Just over a year ago, I was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, although this illness had a hold of me for a year or so before that.
“One of the big tasks in the counselling sessions I had was trying to pinpoint exactly what set this eating problem in motion. The truth is, we never got to the bottom of it and I think this is the same for a lot of people struggling with mental health.”
They continued: “There isn’t always an answer but let me tell you this – there’s always a way out. There’s always light at the end of the tunnel no matter how dim it might seem. I am fortunate to have reached that light, at moments it felt non existent. But it was always there.”
Bella went on to say the light for her was “Jesus”. They added: “For me that light was Jesus. My faith played a huge part in my recovery and so did my family. I don’t know your stories but I felt compelled to share mine. Keep on speaking, do not be silent. Let’s continue to break the silence around mental health. Let’s share our truths because our truths shape who we are and who we become.”
Read more: Time star Bella Ramsey on the impact being neurodivergent has had on their acting career
Time concludes at 9pm on Sunday, November 12, 2023 on BBC One.
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