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Characters / The Dumping Ground

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Current main characters

     Ben 

Ben

Played by: William Wyn Davies
  • Nature Lover: He enjoys working in the garden and strikes up a bond with fellow nature lover Taz.
  • Remember the New Guy?: Appears at the beginning of Series 10 with no explanation. Considering that the characters consider him "new" and Jody knows him (she had moved out a few weeks before the first episode), he probably joined not too long before Series 10 began.

     Doreen 

Doreen Adebayo

Played by: Andrea Hall
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: She is very strict with raising the kids as shown when she takes over as head careworker for Ashdene Ridge but also cares very much for their future as well.
  • Unwitting Instigator of Doom: In the Series 10 finale, Doreen places Floss' old crystal ball in the middle of a table in front of a window filled with sunlight. The sun's rays are magnified by the glass ball and start a fire which quickly spreads through the whole house.

     Bonnie 

Bonnie Vasiliou

Played by: Lara Mehmet
  • It's All My Fault: She blames herself for Bridley Hill being destroyed since she put a toy down the toilet as a joke and caused the pipes to burst. Doreen later reveals though that a sinkhole caused the damage and that it was nobody's fault because it would have happened at some point.

     Fraser 

Fraser Vasiliou

Played by: Massimo Cull
  • Out of Focus: He doesn't have a main focus in Series 11 and is mostly relegated to the background.

     Wes 

Wes Oldfield

Played by: Owen Phillips
  • Nice Guy: One of the kindest kids who believes in always being good to others.

     Izzy 

Izzy Musonda

Played by: Zanele Nyoni
  • Daddy's Girl: She was very close with her father and they liked to build together before his death.
  • Wrench Wrench: She is very good at building things.

     Dita 

Dita Okomo

Played by: Kayleen Ngeuma

     Maisie 

Maisie Martin

Played by: Mimi Robertson
  • Ascended Extra: She makes a guest appearance in an episode of Series 10 before joining the show as a main character in Series 11.
  • It's All My Fault: She blames herself for her mum's accident as she had pestered her mum for a ride on the day it happened.

     Georgia 

Georgia

Played by: Rochelle Goldie

     Frankie 

Frankie

Played by: Blake Robinson

     Oscar 

Oscar

Played by: Michael Carpenter

     Shanice 

Shanice

Played by: Raniah Morton

     Chelsey 

Chelsey

Played by: Emme Patrick

     Erin 

Erin

Played by: Robyn Elwell

     Jimi 

Jimi

Played by: Moses Amedzro

     Brodie 

Brodie

Played by: Charlie Geany

Former main characters

     Gus 

Gus Carmichael

Played by: Noah Marullo

  • Inter Generational Friendship: With Mike.
  • Brutal Honesty: Tends to be blunt and honest, even if it comes off as rude. Justified as he has Aspergers.
  • Heroic BSoD: Has a sensory overload in the premiere of The Dumping Ground due to getting his head covered in henna, the loud music from Rick and Frank's feud, and everyone shouting and fighting. This causes him to reach his breaking point and pull the pin of a grenade. Luckily, the explosion was small and nobody got hurt. This also gets everyone to stop fighting and get along again.
  • Literal-Minded: Due to having Aspergers, he has trouble understanding idioms and takes them literally.
  • Limited Wardrobe: He is always wearing a black shirt and beige trousers and his wardrobe is literally filled with only this style of clothing, though this is justified due to his Aspergers syndrome.
  • Obsessed Are the Listmakers: He makes a list of his routine and all the things he needs to do and gets upset and stressed if he is unable to do them and cross it off his list.
  • Obsessively Organized: He has a schedule and his room is organized in a particular way, which is also distressing when this is messed up or ruined.
  • Put on a Bus: In the first season of The Dumping Ground after being fostered by a lesbian couple.
  • Schedule Fanatic: Due to his Asperger's Syndrome, he finds it very distressing when his routine is broken.

     Gina 

Gina Conway

Played by: Kay Purcell

Pretty much Jenny with her and Mike's roles reversed. When she began to trust Tracy more (series 2 onward) she chilled out a bit, and became more like Duke (a friendly, humourous face who cooks).

     Elektra 

Mandy "Elektra" Perkins

Played by: Jessica Revell

Former gang member.

  • Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Disappears between Series' 1 and 2 of The Dumping Ground. Word of God says she moved back in with Melissa.
  • Deadpan Snarker
  • False Friend: To Faith in The Dumping Ground opener. Later appearances show that the two are close.
  • Faux Affably Evil: Whilst not evil, she is a bitch but can be very polite if she wants to convince someone.
  • Hidden Depths: Elektra's parents reveal that she used to be a vegetarian and fought for 'meat is murder'
    • Also reacts very strongly to homophobia.
    • In the background of her room, you can see a pride flag.
    • Word of God states that she is a lesbian and part of her story in the web series After The DG is about her getting together with a girl. It was just never explored during the show due to Jessica's departure from the series.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Deep down, she does care about the other kids and The Dumping Ground shows more of a softer side to her.
  • Put on a Bus: Leaves between Series' 1 and 2 of The Dumping Ground without any explanation. Word of God says she moved back in with her sister, Melissa.

     Lily 

Lily Kettle

Played by: Jessie Williams

  • Born Lucky: Subverted in a strange sense. Even though loads of unlucky things such as her mum dying and being separated from her sisters. She gets fostered by Cam, with no prompting and was initially fostered after only being in care for a few months. Reconciles with her dad and is allowed to live with him.
  • Drop-In Character: In Series 1, after she moves in with her dad and she stops having respite care.
  • Foreshadowing: When her and her sisters are leaving to get fostered, Lily doesn't allow Matt and Christy to hold their hands. Foreshadowing to the fact, Lily tries to take over looking after Poppy and Rosie.
  • Karma Houdini: Johnny gets knocked about by saying that homosexual couples shouldn't be allowed to foster. However, Lily had the same views but doesn't get any comeuppance.
  • Promotion to Parent: Surrogate mum to her little sisters - had problems handing over control to a foster parent, but not to her dad. It eventually ruins her chance of being happily fostered with the Perrys.
  • Put on a Bus: To live down south with her dad and Shannay.
    • The Bus Came Back: In Series 6 to give Alex some work experience at her café and later as a guest for Mike's wedding. She also returns in Series 10 to judge a baking competition that Floss enters and later gives her the job as the owner of the café.
  • Took a Level in Jerkass: Is shown to be more likely to be nasty and unlikeable after falling off the roof.

     Rick 

Rick Barber

Played by: Daniel Pearson

From Burnywood.

  • Big Brother Instinct: Looks out for Tyler like a big brother.
  • Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Disappears between Series 2 and 3 of The Dumping Ground, and is not mentioned by anyone. Word of God gave an explanation by saying he moved back in with his mother.
  • Comically Missing the Point: in the episode "The Invitation" it is revealed that Rick is against the Queen because his parents are in prison in 'Her Majesty's Pleasure' and doesn't realise that it's only in name.
  • Nice Guy: One of the more decent members of the DG.
  • Ship Tease: With Carmen in "Be My Girl" which leads to the two of them to start dating briefly but decide to just be friends after things feel complicated.
  • Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Is this for Liam whom he replaces as a regular in TBR S3. Just like Liam, Rick knows all about scams and con artists, plays guitar and has a passion for music (something Liam later goes on to focus on). His role in episodes such as "Justine Littlewood Returns" seem to have originally been written for Liam, as Rick is the only kid to take Tracy's side, despite barely knowing her at this point, and he deduces that Justine's fiance is a fraudster in a similar scenario to Liam's in "Out of Control". Averted by the time of The Dumping Ground where he becomes more of his own character.
  • Put on a Bus: Between Series 2 and 3 of The Dumping Ground. Word of God stated that he moved back in with his mother after she got out of prison.

     Faith 

Faith Davis

Played by: Leanne Dunstan

New girl at the Dumping Ground. Secretive about her past. The whereabouts of her parents are unknown. At first, she lived with her brother Razz and her grandmother. Then her grandmother died and Razz vanished, joining a gang, leaving her to fend for herself in her flat. She ended up in care when a teacher reported her situation to the authorities.

  • Big Good: Is generally the friendliest, most supportive member of the DG that kids can turn to.
  • Cynicism Catalyst: After she suffers an accident in the second season of The Dumping Ground, which temporarily puts her in a wheelchair. She becomes the cynic until Frank talks to her as he has had to live with being disabled every day of his life.
  • Guile Hero: tends to lie to people and assume false identities for the greater good.
    • Pretends to be Gina to Gina's senile mother to keep her safe
    • Pretends to be a support care worker in order to get rid of the real, bitchy support care worker
    • Makes up an illness and hints at horrible consequences to persuade Tyler and Jody to stop hoofing down junk food
    • Goes along with Gus' BSOD imaginings when he threatens to use the grenade even though he's delusional
  • The Pollyanna
    I don't believe in negative thinking.
  • Promotion to Parent: To the YP in the Series 1 opener where she pretends to be a care worker after Mike is on holiday and Gina ends up in the hospital.
  • Put on a Bus: Between Series' 2 and 3 of The Dumping Ground, she was presumably too old to continue living at Ashdene Ridge.
    • The Bus Came Back: Faith returns for an episode in The Dumping Ground Series 3, she apparently is at university.
  • Token Minority: Lampshaded in What Would Gus Want? when Johnny is being homophobic.

     Frank 

Frank Matthews

Played by: Chris Slater

Liam's best friend whose Grandad became too ill to look after him.

  • Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Liam. The two are shown to be best friends whether Liam is in Elm Tree House or not and they eventually move in together at the end of Series 2 of The Dumping Ground.
  • Put on a Bus: At the end of Series 2 of The Dumping Ground to move in with Liam.
    • The Bus Came Back: During The Dumping Ground series 3 finale for a one-time appearance. He also returned in the series 5 finale to help save Ashdene Ridge and in the series 6 finale along for Mike's wedding.
  • Took a Level in Badass: Series 1: Liam's best friend with cerebral palsy. Series 2: Slightly broken after losing his grandad. Series 3: Loses his love and best friend, turning into an Anti-Hero determined to save his only chance at an emotional tie.
  • Raised by Grandparents: He was bought up by his grandad. He was taken into care when his grandad's health meant that he could no longer look after him.

     Johnny 

Johnny Taylor

Played by: Joe Maw

Tee's older brother with dominance and anger issues.

  • Abusive Parents: Much more affected by their abusive almost-stepdad than Tee.
  • Big Brother Instinct: As much as he orders his sister around, if necessary, he'll do anything for her.
  • Control Freak: To his sister, Tee originally. He later backs off and lets her do what she wants.
  • The Cynic
  • Don't Split Us Up: Subverted. Usually, he and Tee both want to be fostered together, but he once wanted Tee to be fostered alone when he finds out the parents only wanted her and not him.
  • Dude, Where's My Respect?: This served as his motivation for causing havoc during a power cut in "Shadows", particularly as Tyler had gotten more attention for humiliating him earlier in the episode.
  • Hair-Trigger Temper: He has known to have anger problems, although he learns to control it better as he grows older.
  • Jerkass
  • Put on a Bus: To the army midway through Series 3.
  • "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Gives Keith a particularly vicious one when confronting him.
  • Villainous Friendship: Whenever he teams up with Elektra.

     Harry 

Harry Jones

Played by: Philip Graham Scott

  • The Cutie
  • Happily Adopted: He later gets adopted by Lou and Ange.
  • Iconic Item: His stuffed animal Jeff the giraffe.
  • Put on a Bus: He left during Series 3... then came back three episodes later after having problems with his foster family.
    • He later leaves for good in the second half of Series 4.
  • The Quiet One: He doesn't speak much - possibly rooted in psychological issues - or just not trusting the actor with many lines.
    • He becomes more talkative as the series progresses due to growing up and has many friends around his age.
  • Tagalong Kid: Throughout Tracy Beaker Returns, he was the youngest member of the DG. Averted in The Dumping Ground after Floss arrives.

     Carmen 

Carmen Howle

Played by: Amy-Leigh Hickman

     Tee 

Tee Taylor

Played by: Mia McKenna-Bruce

Johnny's sister

  • Beware the Nice Ones: Tee may be one of the sweetest members in the DG but she does have her limits such as snapping at Mo for being overly clingy towards her or plotting to expose Ryan of his manipulative ways.
  • Break the Cutie: When her plan to expose Ryan went too far and led to Ryan using Manipulative Editing to turn the other kids against her.
    • When she was scared about growing up and moving out of care.
  • The Heart: The most empathetic member of the DG. Goes gooey over animals and is supportive and friendly to everybody.
  • Older Than They Look: Tee is supposed to be 13 by the second season of The Dumping Ground, but her actress Mia McKenna Bruce is 17.
  • O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Her kind nature is put to the test when she takes pity on Mo and he becomes really clingy. When she eventually snaps at him, he ends up in the hospital.
  • Put on a Bus: Leaves for college with Carmen at the end of Series 4.

     Mo 

Anthony "Mo" Michaels

Played by: Reece Buttery

New boy in The Dumping Ground. Lived with his parents in a shed.

  • Bungling Inventor: His defining trait.
  • Family Relationship Switcheroo: His parents are actually his grandparents.
  • Friend to All Living Things
  • The Heart
  • Hypocrite: He is annoyed with Sammy, despite him being clingy like he was when he first arrived. Tyler even lampshades this.
  • Nice Guy: He truly is one of the friendlist and kindest of the kids.
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: His real name is Anthony.
  • Put on a Bus: Goes back to live with his grandparents between S4 and 5 of TDG.
  • Raised by Grandparents: Series 3 reveals that Mo was actually raised by his grandparents.
  • Retcon: His introduction episode reveals that Mo lived in a shed and the Imagine Spot shows his parents who seem young but in Series 3, it was revealed that Mo was actually being raised by his grandparents and his birth parents (who are also revealed to have cerebral palsy) haven't seen him for most of his life. Living in a shed is also not mentioned in that episode.

     Bailey 

Bailey Wharton

Played by: Kasey McKellar

     Kazima 

Kazima Tako

Played by: Akuc Bol

  • Deadpan Snarker: Has a tendency to snark at others.
  • Happily Ever After: Pretty much says being reunited with her dad and brother is this.
  • Nice Girl: Pretty considerate and generous.
  • Only Sane Man: She's not as quirky or self-centered like most of the other kids and tends to act as the mature one of the kids.
  • Put on a Bus: To Denmark to be reunited with her dad and brother.
  • Primal Fear: Not a big fan of heights.
  • The Tramp: Until she gets taken into Ashdene Ridge.
  • War Refugees: Originally from Somalia, she fled to the UK after being separated from her father and brother while fleeing from a gang of rebels and losing her mother to an illness in a refugee camp.
  • Younger Than They Look: This played a large part in her issues trying to stay in the country. As she had no documents verifying her age, she was believed to be older than 18 which would have led to her deportation.

     Toni 

Toni Trent

Played by: Nelly Currant

     Billie 

Billie Trent

Played by: Gwen Currant

     Dexter 

Dexter Bellman

Played by: Alexander Aze

  • Annoying Younger Sibling: To Sasha.
  • Ascended Extra: After starting out as a minor recurring character in Series 3 and 4, he joins the main cast in Series 5.
  • Put on a Bus: He goes back to live with his mum in Series 6.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: In Series 9, it's discovered that their mum has been neglecting Murphy again and leaving him on his own. It's never mentioned where Dexter is whilst this is happening, nor whether or not he is aware of the situation.

     Archie 

Archie Able

Played by: Jethro Baliba
  • Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Disappears early in Series 6. May-Li mentions taking him to see a potential family, so it's most likely that he was fostered.
  • Out of Focus: Mostly gets subplot stories.

     Joseph 

Joseph Stubbs

Played by: Yousef Naseer
  • Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Disappears between Series' 6 and 7 of The Dumping Ground with no explanation. He was most likely fostered.

     Ryan 

Ryan Reeves

Played by: Lewis G. Hamilton
  • Big Brother Instinct: Whenever he's not up to his devious ways he starts to develop a good relationship with Harry. He also is very protective of his sister.
  • Dark and Troubled Past: His mother blamed him for Chloe's accident which caused Ryan to believe he was a bad boy and causing him to act the way he does.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Ryan is very devious and has a tendency to manipulate others to get his way, but deep down he does care for everyone and is only bad because of his Dark and Troubled Past.
  • Manipulative Bastard: Has no problem manipulating others to get his way or push someone's buttons.
  • Put on a Bus: He leaves in the mid-season finale of Series 7 to work in a horse stable.
  • Xanatos Speed Chess: As soon as he realises Tee was recording his conversation, he switches tactics immediately. And it works.
  • Xanatos Gambit: His plan to get his own room.
  • Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Has a fear of dogs, as revealed during Mischief's arrival, which led to him making Mischief run away.

     Charlie 

Charlie Morris

Played by: Emily Burnett

  • Intergenerational Friendship: With Taz. Charlie is somewhere in her teens and Taz is around 8-10 and they have a close bond.
  • Nature Lover
  • Nice Girl: Is very kind and friendly to the other kids, which even gives her a "goody-two-shoes" reputation from the other kids.
  • The Pollyanna: Has a very bright and positive attitude.
  • Put on a Bus: In the second half of Series 7 when she moves into her grandfather's house before going travelling.
  • Raised by Grandparents: After her mother ended up in prison. Her grandfather saw her as the daughter they never had.

     Mike 

Michael "Mike" Milligan

Played by: Connor Byrne
The Head Careworker at the Dumping Ground until the end of Series 7.

     Alex 

Alex Walker

Played by: Connor Lawson
  • Hair-Trigger Temper: He has a lot of anger issues stemming from his Dark and Troubled Past.
  • Heterosexual Life-Partners: Becomes this with Finn over time.
  • Long-Lost Relative: In Series 6, Alex not only comes face to face with his mum for the first time since she abandoned him, but he discovers he now has a younger sister named Alice.
  • Parental Abandonment: His mother abandoned him outside his father's workplace when he was just 5 years old after she felt she was unable to take care of him. His father then put him into care after frequently leaving him on his own for days at a time.
  • Put on a Bus: Leaves Ashdene Ridge at the end of series 7 to live with his mum and sister.
    • The Bus Came Back: Returns in Series 8 to take Finn out for the day and later shows Finn his flat. He also returns in Series 10 to surprise Floss at the café.
  • The Runaway: Alex ended up on the streets after fleeing from his previous care home.
  • Tantrum Throwing: In "Farvel", he does this several times.
  • The Tramp: Until he gets taken into Ashdene Ridge.

     Tyler 

Tyler Lewis

Played by: Miles Butler-Hughton

Prankster from Burnywood, later becoming the peacekeeper during the later series of The Dumping Ground.

  • Character Development: Throughout the series and The Dumping Ground, Tyler grows from a mischievous prankster to being the mature peacekeeper of the Dumping Ground.
  • Disappeared Dad: Tyler's dad left his mum before he was even born. The first Tyler would ever really learn about him was after he had passed away.
  • Embarrassing Damp Sheets: When he first arrived, Tyler kept wetting the bed as a result of a dream he would have involving an incoming flood. Harry helped him overcome this in "Reward".
  • Happy Place: Tyler's is a tropical island. Becomes the focus of the "Dumping Ground Island" special.
  • Messy Hair: In TBR series 3, his hair was fairly neat. But as The Dumping Ground goes on and the older he gets, it gets longer and messy as each season goes by.
  • Official Couple: With Jody from the Series 7 finale until his departure in Series 8.
  • The Prankster: Originally his defining trait, it has been downplayed in The Dumping Ground as the series progresses and he matures. He always does pranks to mess with people, namely because it's his specialty. Some of the other kids watch this to their amusement. In Series 3 and 4, he switches to magic tricks before this trait is downplayed from Series 5 onward.
  • Put on a Bus: Leaves in the Series 8 mid-season finale to St. Lucia to be with his mother and Kamal.
    • The Bus Came Back: In the Series 9 finale to help support Jody after Kingsley passes away.
  • Ship Tease: With Jody starting from Series 5. Becomes official in the Series 7 finale.
  • Villain Ball: He's originally introduced as the boy who stole Carmen's stuff and hit her when she went to Burnywood. However, in the rest of his appearances, he doesn't appear the type to maliciously steal someone's stuff. The Dumping Ground Survival Files even retcons this to Tyler doing this as a joke.
  • Zany Scheme: Usually does this in the side plots.

     Nazeer 

Nazeer

Played by: Tut Nyuot

A new boy in Series 8 who makes quick rivals with Jay.

  • Big Brother Mentor: He is this to Sid, encouraging him to stay weird and standing up to Jay for him.
  • Put on a Bus: May-Li mentions that he moved back with his dad.
  • We Hardly Knew Ye: Nazeer arrived at Ashdene Ridge near the middle of Series 8 but ends up leaving the show after a few episodes without the audience learning a lot about him.

     Viv 

Viv

Played by: Chloe Lea

A new girl in Series 8. She is in care because her uncle steals things.

  • Put on a Bus: Jay mentions that she moved back with her uncle.

     Chloe 

Chloe Reeves

Played by: Hannah Moncur
  • Big Brother Worship: Inverted, Chloe is the harshest on Ryan in the DG but she does love him and looks out for him as he does for her.
  • Dude, Where's My Respect?: A lot of Chloe's focus episodes centre around her feeling overlooked and unappreciated despite always being well behaved, resulting in her acting out. The most prominent is "Snake", where Chloe gets left out of a trip she helped organise, with little sympathy from the others.
  • Gamer Chick: Chloe is quite into games and even considers her computer time her favourite thing. "Another Planet" focuses on her becoming addicted to an online game and meeting someone through it who would eventually become her boyfriend.
  • Official Couple: With May-Li's stepson Jake between "The Last Dance" and "Love Hearts and Roses".
  • Put on a Bus: To Scotland with Iona and her parents after she is fostered by them.

     Sasha 

Sasha Bellman

Played by: Annabelle Davis

     Max 

Max

Played by: Jed Jefferson

Sid's roommate and best friend.

  • Nice Guy: One of the nicest characters on the show. He is shown to be a loyal friend to Sid and stands up to Floss when she does something wrong.
  • Put on a Bus: Moves back in with his dad near the end of Series 9.

     Murphy 

Murphy Bellman

Played by: Thomas and Oliver Waldram (Series 3), Fred Montgomery Scott (Series 4), Lenny Rush (Series 9)

  • Ascended Extra: Like his brother Dexter, Murphy made a few appearances as a baby in Series 3 and 4 before joining the main cast as a child in the middle of Series 9.
  • Jerkass
  • Put on a Bus: Leaves in-between Series 9 and 10 with no explanation.
  • Retcon: During his appearances as a toddler, Murphy is depicted as a regular child. When he appears in Series 9, however, he is shown to have dwarfism like Sasha.
  • Tantrum Throwing: When Murphy first comes to the DG, he refuses to settle in and ends up throwing a big one trashing the office.

     Bec 

Rebecca "Bec" Hyde

Played by: Ava Potter

  • Abusive Mom: Abusive grandmother in this case, but same idea. Her grandmother would force Bec to work in her fish shop "like a skivvy" (in Bec's words), verbally belittle her constantly, always side with her bullies' version of events over hers and destroyed her mother's dress after her bully spilled a drink over it. It got to the point where she decided to put herself in care to get away from her. It got even worse after Bec moved in with her aunt on her farm and her grandmother came in to look after her when her aunt fell ill. She would force Bec to sleep in the barn, forbid her from contacting the outside world (even to the point of deleting Bec's social media accounts and lying to Social Services about them going on holiday to Spain) and even tried to emotionally manipulate her into staying when Ruby came to rescue her. A line in her second appearance implies that her grandmother has been raised the same way as she treats Bec.
  • Ambiguously Gay: The Series 9 finale has her develop feelings for a girl and she reveals that she may like girls but is still figuring things out for herself. Her backstory in her introduction with her being desperate to interact with Rae also adds to this.
  • The Eeyore: Bec is generally a gloomy and cynical character who struggles in cheerful or social situations due to her past. In the Christmas episode, Jay even says that Bec has a heart of stone for being distant and not wanting to join in on the Christmas activities.
  • Friendless Background: Avoids making friends due to trust issues.
  • Hidden Depths: Despite her distant nature, Bec has been shown to be a natural working with dogs, as shown in "Do the Right Thing".
  • Hidden Heart of Gold: Although she is very distant and cynical, deep down, Bec has a caring heart that is shown more in Series 8 as she spends more time with the other kids.
  • Put on a Bus: Candi-Rose mentions that she moved in with her aunt in the second episode of Series 9. Despite returning later in the series, Bec disappears from the show in-between Series 9 and 10.
    • The Bus Came Back: In episode 11 of Series 9, it's revealed that Bec's aunt had gotten ill and her gran moved in with them to take care of them but she goes back to abusing and manipulating Bec so Bec is brought back to Ashdene Ridge.
  • Raised by Grandparents: She was raised by her grandmother after her mother died.
  • Took a Level in Kindness: After returning to the Dumping Ground in Series 9, Bec shows a more kinder side to her and is more open to talking to and spending time with the other kids.

     Katy 

Katy White

Played by: Anya Cooke

  • Put on a Bus: She leaves the show in-between Series 9 and 10 with no explanation.
  • The Runaway: She had a habit of running away from her previous care homes to return home before coming to Ashdene Ridge.

     Scott 

Scott Jenson

Played by: Louis Payne

A new careworker introduced in Series 8.

  • Dark and Troubled Past: In "The Brothers Murray", Scott reveals that he was once a tearaway like his brother Nathan. Though Scott matured and left it behind, Nathan continued on this path until one night got into a bad situation.
  • It's All My Fault: Scott blames himself for the situation Nathan once found himself in, as he wasn't there to talk him out of it.
  • One of the Kids: Has a strong childish and fun side to him.
  • Put on a Bus: Leaves the show in-between Series 9 and 10 with no explanation.

     Ruby 

Ruby Butler

Played by: Liv De-Vulgt

  • Ascended Extra: After having a one-time appearance in Series 8, Ruby returns to the Dumping Ground in the middle of Series 9 as a main character.
  • Connected All Along: When Ruby first came to the DG, she quickly struck up a friendship with Bec. This was before Bec realised that Ruby's mum was responsible for the accident which killed hers. They had even briefly seen each other after Ruby's mum went to prison, but neither remembered the other.
  • Nice Girl: She is very friendly and caring towards the other kids.
  • Put on a Bus: Leaves the show in-between Series 9 and 10 with no explanation.

     Jody 

Jody Jackson

Played by: Kia Pegg
  • Big Brother Bully: Her brother Kingsley was one.
  • Dark and Troubled Past: She was neglected and abused by her family, especially her mother and Kingsley.
  • Deadpan Snarker
  • Hair-Trigger Temper: Her temper can cause her to get very angry and she snaps when provoked.
  • Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Sasha over time.
  • Mouthy Kid: In the early seasons of The Dumping Ground, but she does grow out of it.
  • Official Couple: With Tyler from the end of Series 7 until his departure in Series 8.
  • Parental Abandonment: She is abandoned by her mother and her brothers in her first appearance. Her mother later abandoned her again for years after Jody gave a witness statement about Kingsley's crimes.
  • Put on a Bus: Moves into her own flat in-between Series 9 and 10. She does return in the Series 10 opener where her storyline is about her struggling with living alone and wanting to move in to the Dumping Ground again before she decides that it's time for her to move on and she leaves for good.
  • Ship Tease: With Tyler starting from Series 5. Becomes official in the Series 7 finale.
  • Sore Loser: She gets too mad when a game doesn't go in her favour.
  • Tomboy: Likes listening to rock music and watching football.
  • Tomboy and Girly Girl: The Tomboy to Carmen's Girly Girl. Jody prefers football and hanging out with Sasha and the guys while Carmen loves fashion and hates getting dirty. The contrasting personalities cause the two to clash often.
    • She's also the Tomboy to Candi-Rose's Girly Girl while Jody wears jeans, being tough and doesn't particularly care about her appearance as much, Candi-Rose is always wearing pink and loves fashion and romance to the point of being an expert in both. Unlike Carmen though, Jody has a better friendship with Candi-Rose.
  • Tomboyish Ponytail: She starts wearing one in Jody in Wonderland and from Series 3 onward, she is almost always seen wearing one.
  • Trademark Favourite Food: Chocolate biscuits
  • Vitriolic Best Buds: With Tyler.

     Bird 

Bird Wallis

Played by: Leo James
  • Big Brother Instinct: He kept the Awful Truth about their home life hidden from Jay as they grew up, allowing him to remember a more positive life in order to protect him.
  • Character Development: Goes from a withdrawn and quiet character to one who is more outgoing and outspoken.
  • I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Bird has a crush on Candi-Rose, but when she meets and falls for another boy, he makes amends after initially trying to sabotage them by bringing the boy to the DG and allowing them to go out together.
  • Like Father, Like Son: Bird's interest and talent in DJing and creating Dubstep came from watching his assumed father do it. As it turns out, his real father is a well known musician as well, so the trope still applies to his actual family as well.
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: "Bird's Song" confirms that Bird is not his actual name and his real name is revealed to be Noah in "Broken Record".
  • Put on a Bus: Leaves halfway through the first half of Series 10 to go on tour with his dad.
  • Ship Tease: With Candi-Rose which seems one-sided although his last appearance implies that she might like him back.

     May-Li 

May-Li Wang

Played by: Stacy Liu

A careworker introduced in The Dumping Ground series 2. Becomes Head Careworker in Series 8.

  • Family Versus Career: This comes up in two episodes in regards to May-Li. The kids start to realise she sacrifices a lot of opportunities to spend time with her family in order to look after them, and try to encourage her to better balance her priorities. Her exit comes about as a result of this; she's reluctant to accept a new job closer to home which would allow her to spend more time with her family, which results in tensions between her and Alice. The kids realise what it could lead to, and persuade her to take the job.
  • Happily Married: To Alice.
  • Gruesome Grandparent: When her grandmother Po-Po comes round, it is revealed that she and Po-Po have a strained relationship because Po-Po didn't want to accept that May-Li is a lesbian and has adopted two children.
  • Put on a Bus: She leaves at the end of the Series 10 mid-season finale after accepting a new job closer to home in order to spend more time with her family.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: Replaces Gina as the more authoritative care worker, in the DG.
  • Remember the New Guy?: Makes her first appearance in the 2013 Christmas Special, with no explanation.
  • Sidekick Graduations Stick: Goes from an assistant careworker for most of the series' run to head careworker in Series 8 after Mike's departure.
  • Wacky Cravings: Starts eating coal when she first discovers she's pregnant (possibly with IVF, as she is married to a woman).

     Candi-Rose 

Candi-Rose

Played by: Carma Hylton
  • Forgettable Character: She assumes everyone in the house sees her as this in "Give and Take" after learning that Floss can't think of a trait or skill to include for her in her homework project.
  • Girly Girl: The girliest character at the Dumping Ground.
  • Given Name Reveal: In "Candi-Rose?", it's revealed that her real name is actually Courtney and that she was given a new identity after being separated from her sister in order to protect her.
  • It's All My Fault: Candi-Rose blames herself for the incident that led to her and her sister being put into care and separated.
  • Pink Means Feminine: Is very girly and mostly seen wearing something pink.
  • Put on a Bus: In the mid-season finale of Series 10. Her parents finally track her down and try to take her away. As a result, she is forced to relocate to a new home immediately and accept another new identity, losing all contact with her friends at the DG as a result.
  • Replacement Flat Character: Candi-Rose is basically Carmen before her character development. This gets lampshaded by Tee when they first meet in Series 5.
  • Stepford Smiler: An episode of Series 9 has Candi-Rose being overly positive and cheery via an online guide to happiness. Near the end of the episode, she reveals that she was acting that way to hide how sad she is because she misses Lauren.
  • Sticky Fingers: Candi-Rose shoplifts clothes in one episode when she feels left out and forgotten about.
  • Tomboy and Girly Girl: The Girly Girl to Jody's Tomboy. Candi-Rose is obsessed with the color pink, fashion, and romance while Jody likes football and street dancing.
  • Witness Protection: Of sorts. The episode "Candi-Rose?" revealed that she was given the identity of Candi-Rose and separated from her sister Lauren as part of a deal in order to protect them both as they were being searched for by parties unknown. The episode "The Hardest Word" reveals that they were in hiding from their parents, particularly their father. When they finally track her down in this episode, she is forced to leave the DG immediately and accept another new identity for her protection.

     Jay 

Jay Wallis

Played by: Cole Wealleans-Watts
  • Big Brother Instinct: Inverted. Jay is the younger brother, but he is still fiercely protective of Bird.
  • Brilliant, but Lazy: Jay is quite academically successful, but tends to prefer messing around unless there's something in it for him.
  • Embarrassing Damp Sheets: Jay used to wet the bed until he was 11.
  • Hidden Depths: Though he comes across as cocky and arrogant, Jay is also very intelligent and managed to get offered a place at a prestigious school.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Jay is often very cocky and belittles others but he has also proven to have a good heart and truly cares about his friends.
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: His real name is Jacob, but he always goes by Jay in the series.
  • Put on a Bus: In Series 10 to go away to an internship at a science center.

     Floss 

Floss Guppy

Played by: Sarah Rayson
Another new girl and the youngest kid in the Dumping Ground.

  • Creepy Child: Immediately assumes that red liquid dripping from the ceiling is blood.
    I've always wanted to go to a funeral.
  • Day in the Limelight: In "Be My Girl" when we learn about her past.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Tends to be very sarcastic, especially as she grows up.
  • Deliberately Cute Child: Can use her sweet looks to get what she wants.
  • Enfante Terrible: Not the sweetest girl around as she blackmails Harry into giving her his Iconic Item, Jeff the giraffe, in her first episode.
  • Fiery Redhead: Has a nasty attitude when provoked.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She's very bratty and manipulative towards the other kids to make sure she gets what she wants. Despite these tendencies, Floss does have a nice side to her. Sometimes, she will do the right thing to help her friends or learn a lesson.
  • Long-Lost Relative: After some initial suspicions about it in Series 7, Floss finally learns that she and her Friendly Enemy Ross are actually siblings in the Series 8 episode "Nobody's Perfect".
    • In Series 9, Floss gets to meet her mum after years of not knowing who she is.
  • Manipulative Bitch: Tends to manipulate and blackmail the other kids into giving her what she wants or getting her way.
  • Parental Abandonment: Her mother left her in a nail bar because she was young when Floss and Ross were born and couldn't cope. When she returns to meet Floss later on, she mentions still not being able to keep a roof over Floss's head and states that she isn't there to rescue Floss from care, which causes Floss to cut contact with her.
  • Put on a Bus: Moves out to a flat and to take over as the owner of the Kettle Stand Café for Lily.
  • Retcon: A mild one, in her introductory episode Mike mentions that she has been hiding from her mother. Later on, it's established that her mother left her in a nail bar when she was 18 months old.
  • Sweet Tooth: A lot of her subplots tend to revolve around her wanting sweets someone else has.
  • Took A Level In Jerk Ass: While Floss has always been manipulative and kind of bratty, she becomes a lot meaner in Series 3 by having her more likely to act bratty or insult or manipulate others.
  • Took a Level in Kindness: In Series 10, Floss has some nicer moments and becomes a bit more mature throughout the series, even giving up her manipulative ways.
  • With Friends Like These...: Tends to manipulate anyone, including her best friends into getting what she wants. She also will say nasty things or snitch on her friends to help herself.
  • Younger Than They Look: This happens in the later seasons. Despite being about 11 by series 7, Floss is taller than a lot of the younger kids and has a deeper voice. This is justified as her actress is older than the character.

     Taz 

Tazmin "Taz" De Souza

Played by: Jasmine Uson
  • Bratty Half-Pint: When she first arrived. She's mellowed out considerably in later seasons.
  • Hidden Depths: Taz is quite skilled at playing the piano. She takes up playing in the house after Mike tries to have it removed.
  • It's All My Fault: She blames herself for her mum's death because she kept her door closed on the night her mum died. When she moves into the Dumping Ground, she prefers to keep the bedroom door open for this reason.
  • Nature Lover: Develops into one in Series 9 when she learns that her mum saved Ogleton Wood from being torn down for land development and later does the same thing when the council tries to do it again. Series 10 develops it further by showing how she is very much into nature to the point of having her room having a nature theme, taking care of and being protective of the care home's garden, and being protective of animals and environmental rights. It also helps that she had a close friendship with Charlie, who was also a nature lover.
  • Put on a Bus: Disappears after Ashdene Ridge is burnt down, presumably to another care home or back with her dad.

     Sid 

Sid Khan

Played by: Josh Sangha
  • Bollywood Nerd: Is of Indian descent, and has rather nerdy interests, particularly when it comes to science.
  • Literal-Minded: Tends to take anything said to him literally.
  • Iconic Item: His ventriloquist dummy, Fred.
  • Nice Guy: One of the nicest characters on the show.
  • Put on a Bus: Disappears after Ashdene Ridge is burnt down, presumably to another care home.

     Clem 

Clem Stephens

Played by: Halle Cassell
  • Put on a Bus: Disappears after Ashdene Ridge is burnt down, presumably to another care home or back with her sister.

     Kyle 

Kyle Lawton

Played by: Freddie Smith
  • Put on a Bus: Disappears after Ashdene Ridge is burnt down, presumably to another care home.

     Hugo 

Hugo Little

Played by: Hugo Nash
  • Put on a Bus: Disappears after Ashdene Ridge is burnt down, presumably to another care home.

     Finn 

Finn McLaine

Played by: Ruben Reuter

  • A Day in the Limelight: In "Troll" where he gets bullied by Floss a lot, "Champions" where he goes up against an arrogant rival to win a swimming competition, and "Mother's Day" where he meets his mother for the first time.
  • Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Subverted. After only making three short appearances in Series 9 due to circumstances surrounding his actor during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Finn was quietly phased out of the show between Series' 9 and 10 with no explanation for his absence. He does later return in Series 10, where it was revealed that he had moved out to his own flat offscreen and also in Series 11 for one last visit.
  • Heterosexual Life-Partners: Becomes this with Alex. The two become best friends who are there for one another, even after Alex leaves. This is lampshaded by the other kids in "The Dumping Ground: I'm..." by calling their friendship a "bromance". Finn even moved in with Alex after initially leaving the DG, though Alex had moved away by the time he returned.
  • The Klutz
  • Nice Guy: One of the kindest characters on the show. He is always wanting to do the right thing and cares deeply for his friends.
  • Official Couple: With Ivy in Series 8.
  • Out of Focus: Played straight in Series 3 to 5 where he is often only involved in the periphery of the subplots in almost every episode. Averted in Series 6 to 8 where he gets more focus episodes and development. Played straight again in Series 9 where he makes small appearances in very few episodes due to the actor shielding.
  • Parental Abandonment: He was put into care after he was born because his mum didn't think she could look after him though she does come to regret it and meets Finn years later. Series 11 reveals that Finn has since moved back home with her and their family.
  • Put on a Bus: Leaves offscreen in-between Series 9 and 10 to get his own flat. Also disappears after the Series 10 finale.
    • The Bus Came Back: He returns later in Series 10 to help nurse Jay when he ends up in the hospital. When it's revealed that he is struggling to live alone, Finn moves back into Ashdene Ridge. He also returns in Series 11 to visit Porter's Lodge one last time which also reveals that he is now living with his family.

     Sabrina 

Sabrina Moxley

Played by: Florrie May Wilkinson
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She can be quite moody but is shown to care deeply about her friends, especially Wes and later, Bonnie.
  • Put on a Bus: Leaves Porter's Lodge to live with her mum.
  • Took a Level in Kindness: Series 10 has her be very moody and grumpy to the other kids but in Series 11, she mellows out more and builds a closer friendship with Bonnie.

Recurring and guest characters

     Introduced in The Dumping Ground Series 1 

Shannay

Played by: Holly Quinn-Ankrah

Kingsley Jackson (David Avery)

Luke Jackson (James Bartlett)

  • Big Brother Instinct: He's more protective of and willing to stand up for Jody against Kingsley than his mother.

Denise Jackson (Victoria Alcock)

  • Abusive Parents: She abandoned Jody in Tracy Beaker Returns. In The Dumping Ground, she does nothing to stop Kingsley from controlling her family, tries to force Jody to stay quiet about his crimes, and ends up abandoning her again when Jody makes a statement to the police. When she returns in Series 6, she forces Jody to lie about living at home to impress her boyfriend and once again disowns her after Grant breaks up with her for lying to him although this time, she does apologize and attempts to make amends with Jody. In series 8, she has a phone conversation with Jody and they seem to be pretty close again.
  • Extreme Doormat: To her son Kingsley. She doesn't stand up to him or try to stop his abuse and crime.
  • Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Does this to Jody when she finds out that Jody made a statement against Kingsley.

     Introduced in The Dumping Ground Series 3 

Matt and Stephanie Branston

Played by: Charlie Brooks (Stephanie) and Stuart Manning (Matt)

Maude Gordon

Played by: Kiki Brooks-Truman

     Introduced in The Dumping Ground Series 4 

Sammy Doyle

Played by: Roderick Gilkison

  • Ambiguous Disorder: Sammy being unable to understand certain social cues may suggest that he has autism. And his overenthusiastic, hyperactive and excitable demeanour suggests that he may also have ADHD.
  • Nice Guy: As Tyler, Tee, and even Floss say, he is sweet and well-meaning, just very hyperactive.
  • Put on a Bus: Goes back to his aunt after she gets out of the hospital.
  • Replacement Flat Character: Plays the same role as Mo before his character development except with Tyler instead of Tee.
  • We Hardly Knew Ye: Leaves after three episodes without the audience getting to know him well.

     Introduced in The Dumping Ground Series 5 

Peter Umbleby

Played by: Simon Ludders

Janet Umbleby (Alison Pargeter)

Edward Umbleby (Jaimie Boubezari)

     Introduced in The Dumping Ground Series 6 

Fiona Johnson

Played by: Michelle Collins

     Introduced in The Dumping Ground Series 7 

Freya

Played by: Jackie Edwards

  • Big Bad: Of the Series 7 two-part opener.
  • Blackmail: One of the most serious examples of this in the entire series. After gaining access to everyone's personal files, she threatens to post them all online if Sasha, and later Jody, doesn't comply with her demands.
    • Blackmail Backfire: This ultimately fails when all of the kids discover what she is doing and dare her to carry out the threat if it means Sasha is cleared. She later admits she was never actually planning to do it.
  • Easily Forgiven: Despite her attempt to ruin Sasha's life, Sasha quickly forgives her and encourages her to embrace the second chance she's been given.
  • Manipulative Bitch: She manages to turn the other residents against Sasha as part of her plan. According to Sasha, she has a history of doing this.
  • Old Friend: Of Sasha's. The pair had been in another care home together, and were on their way to a secure home when Sasha stopped off at Ashdene Ridge and ended up staying, losing contact with Freya in the process. Freya did not take that well...
  • Reunion Revenge: Freya puts her plan into action after coming to the DG temporarily and reuniting with Sasha.
  • Revenge: Her motive for going after Sasha as they lost contact when she arrived at the DG.

     Introduced in The Dumping Ground Series 8 

Al Winters

Played by: Gary Webster

Temporary Head Careworker in the Series 8 opener.

  • Adults Are Useless: Al completely dismisses the kids' concerns when Sid goes missing, and only agrees to call the police when Scott forces him to.
  • It's Personal: He only applied for the job of Head Careworker to try and beat May-Li, as she had beaten him to a previous job years earlier.
  • Manchild: Dislikes doing any of the harder work associated with leadership and prefers messing around and playing games. This is what gets to step down as head careworker and allows May-Li to step in.

     Pets 

Mr. Hamster

Lily's hamster. Handed over to Toby. Back to Tee after Toby left.

Shadow (ACTRESS: Connie the dog)

Frank's Morality Pet and a new friend. Later is given to Lily when she can't stay in The Dumping Ground

Mischief

The Dumping Ground's new dog.

  • Put on a Bus: Goes to America with Bailey when he leaves.
  • Team Pet: Becomes the Dumping Ground's pet from Series 3 to 5.

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