Grange Hill cast reunion: ‘The storylines then can still resonate today’
THE GRANGE HILL CAST REUNITE ON LOOSE WOMEN TO MARK THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE HIT KIDS TV SHOW
It is 40 years since iconic, kids TV show Grange Hill hit our screens. From teenage pregnancies to drug addiction, and student-teacher affairs, the storylines were groundbreaking at the time. Kids were hooked and Grange Hill became a household name.
To celebrate this momentous milestone, our ladies welcomed some of the Grange Hill gang for a reunion. There was plenty of nostalgia in the studio as the cast revealed some Grange Hill scenes were actually captured in the 'now' Loose Women studio.
Alison Bettles who played Fay Lucas in the hit kids show chatted about the public's reaction. She said: “Everyone used to shout Mr King because that was the teacher's name.”
Our Nadia was also a big fan and revealed that she was an extra on Grange Hill a couple of times. Back then, Nadia fell for Tucker Jenkins, played by Eastenders star Todd Carty. She even thought Grange Hill ‘was the best thing on television’ at the time.
Todd explained how he thinks 'the storylines can still resonate with kids today' and added that 'there's nothing that these children today can watch to relate to.'
Grange Hill also covered hard-hitting topics such as the 1980s and early 1990s anti-drugs campaign ‘Just Say No’. Members of the cast were invited to The White House and met Nancy Reagan. The Grange Hill gang explained that as teenagers they didn’t realise the significance of the trip, but enjoyed the visit to America.
Actor Erkan Mustafa who played Roland Browning added: “There are not many 16-year-old kids that can walk into that building and have a conversation. It was an amazing experience.”
Grange Hill 40th Anniversary Reunion events have been taking place to raise funds for The Good Grief Trust which was set up by Linda Magistris (who played Susi McMahon) after her partner Graham died from a rare type of cancer.
Watch the video to see the full interview with some of the cast.