Like Janet Jackson, I was a child star – here’s what I’d tell today’s fame-hungry kids

If you grew up watching CITV in the nineties, you might remember a show about a young boy called Bernard, who owned a magic pocket watch that let him stop time. I certainly do – I was Bernard! It was a very different time in my life, and one that helped shape the person I am today.

I think when people hear the words “child star”, they tend to assume all sorts of strange things – some true, some not so much. Often, they probably imagine something like Janet Jackson’s recent interview with the BBC, wherein the performer opened up about the hardships, struggles and weight of expectations that defined her experience of childhood fame.

“I don’t ever remember being asked – I just remember doing it,” said the “What Have You Done For Me Lately?” singer, noting that she was more of a support system for her famous brothers than somebody who received much familial support herself.

I sympathise fully with Jackson’s position, not least because I did have that support, and that element of choice, that can make all the difference for a young person who finds themselves suddenly overwhelmed by the demands of celebrity.

I got the role through the acting charity Television Workshop, and one thing they were especially good at was helping to keep you grounded. It can be really easy to let the fact you’re on television go to your head – especially when you’re only 10 years old while at the same time celebrating your success.

It’s a difficult thing to express, but being famous didn’t really feel like being famous – being on TV every week was just something I did, like any other hobby. It helped that I was surrounded by friends and family who knew to treat me no differently than they did before Bernard’s Watch started, and that I went to a relatively small primary school where everybody already knew me as regular old David.

open image in gallery

I think it might be a bit of a cultural difference, too. Here in the UK, it’s a bit of a British trait not to build people up too much, whereas in America, it might be a bit easier to surround yourself with people who are going to tell you exactly what you want to hear. It’s probably great, especially for a kid who thrives on praise – right up until it isn’t.

It’s probably a lot different now, though, with social media. I was able to stay grounded precisely because my parents were very careful about what I was exposed to. I didn’t get the kind of overwhelming, immediate feedback kids today are exposed to, whether they’re on TV or not. That being said, if my own kids wanted to give it a try, I wouldn’t try to dissuade them. I’d tell them it was fantastic, a one-in-a-lifetime experience – but I’d also try to keep them grounded. After all, if your loved ones don’t, somebody will, and that fall can be hit a lot harder if you aren’t ready for it.

I remember being recognised as a kid while I was out with my mum, and just going bright red with embarrassment and trying my hardest not to make eye contact. You’d see people pointing and talking about it, and you’d just want to… well, I don’t want to say stop time, but you know what I mean.

Nowadays, though, I’m more than happy to talk about it. People don’t bring it up as much as they used to, so when they do it feels special. I’ll tell them about what a great time we had on set, messing with the clapperboards and learning how all the audio equipment worked.

The show finished when I was around 14, and I just sort of fell out of acting after that. It’s a strange thing to say, but I think it just started getting in the way of other things. I was interested in school – science, in particular – and I ended up training in medicine. I’m now a GP, so I guess my change of career paid off!

I have a beautiful family, and a great life, and I wouldn’t trade any of it. Don’t get me wrong, if Hollywood came calling tomorrow I’d pick up the phone in a heartbeat! But until then, I’m just enjoying living life as it happens to me. After all, why rush things? I’ve got all the time in the world.