Tracy Beaker star to marry fan who calls him her 'childhood crush'

Tracey Beaker star Chris Slater, known for his role as Frank Matthews in the beloved BBC series, has revealed he’s engaged to a longtime fan of the show, Sam Wilson.

The couple, who plan to marry in 2026, shared their happy news with fans on social media.

Wilson posted a TikTok video featuring a montage of Slater's moments from the series, as well as sweet photos of the couple together as adults.

“He isn’t my childhood crush anymore… He’s my fiancé,” she wrote in a caption to the video.

Slater's portrayal of Frank Matthews, a character in foster care, was a memorable part of both Tracy Beaker and its spin-off The Dumping Ground, which are based on the best-selling books by Jacqueline Wilson.

The engagement marks a new chapter for the 29-year-old actor and his fiancée, who were inundated with well wishes after sharing their joyous news.

A TikTok user shared: “He did a workshop at my uni a couple years ago and he was such a genuinely lovely guy, congrats to you both.”

“Omg this is awesome, imagine having a celeb crush for them to actually be your partner! Amazing - you both look so happy,” another remarked.

A third wrote: “He was great in tracey beaker! (can’t remember if it was returns or dumping ground but i remember liking his character).”

Slater, like the character he portrayed, lives with cerebral palsy. He was discovered by talent scouts while performing in a local theatre production.

He told BBC at the time: “They asked me to audition after contacting my school to find out who I was and I got the part after two auditions.

“I wanted to do some form of coaching within a physical education setting. Acting was just a hobby and the play where I was spotted was a last minute decision to take part in.”

Reflecting on the show's impact, which was lauded for addressing challenging subjects for a younger audience in an entertaining and engaging manner, Slater remarked at the time: “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.”