My Parents Are Aliens to Girls In Love, prepare yourself for a trip down memory lane as we uncover what our favourite characters are up to now!
1. David Peachey (Bernard's Watch)
You remember
Bernard's Watch don't you? The CITV drama followed a young boy named Bernard (obviously) who had the ability to pause time with the help of his magical pocket watch. Remember it now? Of course you do! So, what has little David Peachey been up to these last fourteen years?
Image Source
NOW -Where Has The Time Gone?!
It might surprise you to know that David Peachey traded in his acting career for life as a GP! The former child star studied Medicine at the University of Sheffield, before joining a practice in Nottingham where the show was filmed.
Image Source
2. Tony Gardner (Brian in My Parents Are Aliens)
Tony Garner played the role of Brian Johnson, one of the aliens who crash landed on Earth after tampering with the controls in his spaceship in the popular television series
My Parents Are Aliens. While he was never able to return to the planet Valux, you'll be glad to know that Tony has had a pretty successful career here on Earth...
Image Source
NOW -Rough And Ready!
Over the years Gardner has picked up a number of small-time roles on the likes of
Law and Order: UK, Doctor Who, M.I. High, Fresh Meat and
Unforgotten. In 2018, the actor landed a part in the British sitcom
Lovesick which is now available on Netflix!
Image Source
3. Carla Mendonca (Sophie in My Parents Are Aliens)
Carla Mendonca was the second actress to take on the role of Sophie Johnson in
My Parents Are Aliens. Unlike her on-screen hubby, Carla's character struggled with morphing and could only focus enough to do so when eating ice-cream. I know the feeling...
Image Source
NOW -Living Her Best Life!
Carla Mendonca has ditched the retro look but she can still be spotted in a wide variety of kid's TV programmes: including
Dani's House and S
o Awkward! It looks like her personal life is going well too as in 2016, she and fellow actor Clive Mantle - who is known for his roles in Casualty and Holby City - got hitched!
Image Source
4. Alex Kew (Josh in My Parents Are Aliens)
My Parents Are Aliens landed on our screens in November 1999 (feeling old yet?) and followed the unique lives of Brian and Sophie Johnson -a pair of eccentric aliens- who wanted to give three orphans a second chance in life. If you watched the show then you will definitely remember Josh, the middle child who often came up with money making scams...but where is he now?
Image Source
NOW -Life In The Spotlight!
If we're being honest, Alex Kew hasn't changed all that much since we last saw him on our television screens. Sure, his hair is longer and he's grown a beard -but he still looks pretty much identical to the Josh we all know and love. These days the star has ditched acting for a life on stage as a solo artist!
Image Source
5. Danielle McCormack (Mel in My Parents Are Aliens)
Sarcastic and angsty teenager Mel was the oldest of the three orphaned Barker children. Like her brother Josh, Mel formed a bit of an attitude after the death of their parents - which landed them in a number of different foster homes until they were found by Brian and Sophie.
Image Source
NOW -GLOW Up!
After the show ended Danielle McCormack picked up a few small time roles before hitting the stage in 2009, where she performed as Cinderella in a pantomime. Since then she has been working as a singer/songwriter under the stage name ''Danni''.
Image Source
6. Neil Buchanan (Art Attack)
CITV's arts and crafts show
Art Attack had us all believing that we were future artists in the making. How many of you can still remember hoarding empty milk cartons, old clothes and bits and bobs from behind the sofa? Yep, we all did it and at the time it drove our parents mad!
Neil Buchanan is the man we have to thank for all of our arts and crafts adventures but you'll be shocked to see him now...
Image Source
NOW -A Different Kind Of Art!
We didn't know it at the time but Neil Buchanan was first and foremost a musician and in 1976 he formed a heavy metal band named 'Marseille'. After 17 years of presenting
Art Attack, Buchanan swapped his red jumper and PVA glue for an electric guitar and an all leather ensemble.
Image Source
7. Arthur Darvill (Presenter)
It's hard to forget Arthur Darvill (who went by his first name Tom at the beginning of his television career) with his spiked up hair and geeky glasses. The star worked as a main presenter for CITV from 1991 until 2000 and we'd be lying if we said we weren't completely obsessed with him at the time.
Image Source
NOW -The Last Centurion!
Does he look even more familiar now? Yes, it's that guy from
Doctor Who! When Darvill left CITV he founded his own theatre company before picking up the role of Rory Williams (A.K.A. Amy Pond's doting husband). Now he's even more famous for his portrayal of Reverend Paul Coates in
Broadchurch and Rip Hunter in
Legends of Tomorrow!
Image Source
8. Danielle Nicholls (Presenter)
Danielle Nicholls joined CITV as a presenter in 1998 after she was selected from a group of 900 applicants. During her three years with the network, the star hosted
Mad For It and
Diggit, which at the time were hugely popular among viewers.
Image Source
NOW -Radio Star!
Although Danielle made a few more television appearances after leaving the children's channel, she has never managed to gain the same level of success. Nowadays she's hosting a weekly radio show with her sister Jodie on Salford City Radio.
Image Source
9. Keith Warwick (Trent in My Parents Are Aliens)
It seems like much of our childhood was spent waiting for Terence ''Trent'' Clements and Mel Barker from
My Parents Are Aliens to get together, but just when we were about to give up hope on our favourite ship, the creators answered our prayers.
Image Source
NOW -He's On Tour!
The Scottish actor played Donald Dee in
The Wicker Tree (2011) which acted as a sequel to the original film,
The Wicker Man. Recently though, Keith Warwick has taken the same career path as his fellow CITV co-stars and now performs his music all over the world!
Image Source
10. Ryan Watson (Bernard's Watch)
When David Peachey left the show in 2001 -after starring in the show for four years- the leading role of Bernard was picked up by Ryan Watson. Unfortunately, the new series didn't bring us viewers the same feeling as the original, which led to the shows cancellation in 2005.
Image Source
NOW -He's A Director!
Now 25, actor Ryan Watson has moved on from starring in children's television programmes and instead is more focused on standing behind the camera instead of in front of it. In 2014, Watson directed
Two Housemates and
The Passing Bells.
Image Source
11. Rosie Day (Nicolette Ashbury in Bernard's Watch)
Bernard's next door neighbour Nicolette Ashbury was if you remember, the main antagonist of the show. Throughout the programme she was shown to be a cruel and arrogant girl, who in the end had no real friends. Thankfully, Rosie Day is very different in real life...
Image Source
NOW -No Longer The Bully!
Rosie Day has changed a lot from her days on
Bernard's Watch and is now mingling with Hollywood icons like Uma Thurman on a regular basis. In recent years, Rosie has been starring in the hit drama series
Outlander and in 2017 she landed a part in
Down A Dark Hall.
Not bad for a school bully, eh?
Image Source
12. Stephanie Fearon (Harry in My Parents Are Aliens)
Stephanie Fearon was introduced to the show after Mel (Danielle McCormack) went off to Canada as part of an exchange trip at the end of the sixth series. Harriett ''Harry'' became the fifth child adopted by the Valux natives, Sophie and Brian Johnson.
Image Source
NOW -Real Life Dorothy?!
When My Parents Are Aliens came to a close in 2005, Stephanie Fearon enrolled at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts where she graduated with a diploma in professional musical theatre in 2009. The following year she competed in Andrew Lloyd Webber's theatre competition
Over The Rainbow.
Image Source
13. Dominic Wood (Jungle Run)
If you don't know,
Jungle Run was CITV's answer to
Fort Boyard and
The Crystal Maze. From 1999 until 2000 the game show was presented by ''Jungle Guide'' Dominic Wood, who explained a set of five challenges to a group of children.
Image Source
NOW -He Found His Other Half!
It's now a rare occurrence that we see Dominic Wood without his double act partner, Richard McCourt. The pair have been entertaining kids all over the shop since they first formed in the early 2000s, which led them to win two BAFTA's!
Image Source
14. Olivia Hallinan (Ellie in Girls In Love)
Do you remember Ellie from
Girls In Love? As the protagonist of the show us viewers formed the strongest connection with the character and for the most part, the situations presented in the programme were narrated by her or shown through her drawings.
Image Source
NOW -Sugar Rush!
Olivia Hallinan went from starring as Ellie to landing the role of Kim in the British comedy series
Sugar Rush which first aired in 2005. You might also recognise Hallinan from her brief appearance in the
Doctor Who spin off series
Torchwood!
Image Source
15. Amy Kwolek (Nadine in Girls In Love)
Amy Kwolek was the actress who played Nadine in
Girls In Love. If you remember Nadine then you will know that unlike the other two, she had a bit of a wild child personality and was always standing out from the crowd with her gothic attire.
Image Source
NOW -She's Over The Goth Phase!
Despite her success on the show, Amy Kwolek has spent much of her adult life drifting between small roles in British medical dramas like
Casualty and
Doctors. It's only recently that she has attempted to reignite her acting career with her appearance in the 2017 film
This Is Axiom.
Image Source
16. Zaraah Abrahams (Magda in Girls In Love)
Magda is the last member of our
Girls In Love trio and similarly to Nadine, she had a habit of standing out with her loud and boisterous personality. The real question that's on all of our minds though is: Where is she now?
Image Source
NOW -Ice Queen!
A few months after leaving CITV, Zaraah Abrahams was hired as Joanne Jackson in the ITV soap opera
Coronation Street. From there she went on to star in
Waterloo Road for a few years before competing in the final series of
Dancing On Ice!
Image Source
17. Timmy Mallett (Presenter)
Timmy Mallett is perhaps one of the most memorable CITV presenters of all time on account of his striking ensembles and bubbly personality. Mallett was known for hosting shows like
Wide Awake Club and
Wacaday, before CITV invited him to host
Timmy Towers which ended in 2002
.
How much has changed in 17 years?
Image Source
NOW -He Can't Get Enough Of Those Bush Tucker Trials!
You might recall that Timmy entered the jungle in 2004 as a stand in contestant on the ITV reality series
I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! and there must have been something about the experience he enjoyed since he returned as a full contestant four years later. Why, Timmy?
The presenter has spent the last few years focusing on his artwork and performing on stage in holiday parks around the country!
Image Source
18. Royce Cronin (Chris in 24Seven)
Now we're really testing your memory with this one! From 2001 until 2002, CITV released the drama series
24Seven, which followed a group of students living at Discovery House, a dorm at the Oaks Boarding School. As you can imagine, throwing a group of teens into a house by themselves led to wild parties, love triangles and major fallouts. We can't imagine why it was cancelled after two seasons...
Image Source
NOW -Off The Radar?!
When
24Seven finished in 2002, we never saw or heard from Royce Cronin again, until
very recently. In 2017, the actor starred as Michel Van Rijn in
The Iconoclast and in 2018 he filmed a small part in the Freddie Mercury biography/drama film
Bohemian Rhapsody.
Image Source
19. Augustus Prew (Drew in 24Seven)
Are all the memories flooding back yet? If not then Augustus Prew - who played Drew Jessup - might help to jog your memory a little bit more with his chiselled features and perfectly tousled hair. Most importantly, we want to know what happened
after the show ended...
Image Source
NOW -The High Life!
Unlike his
24Seven co-star Royce Cronin, Augustus Prew's career excelled when the children's show ended! You probably know him now for his appearances in
Charlie St. Cloud (2010),
Kick-Ass 2 (2013) and
Prison Break (2017).
His love life seems to be going pretty well too and in January 2018, Prew married fellow actor Jeffery Self!
Image Source
20. Fiona Wade (Anya in 24Seven)
Anya Vicenze might have been the girlfriend of Miles Silverstone but that didn't stop his brother Chris from lusting after her like a lost puppy. After all what is a teen drama without a little love triangle thrown into the mix?
Image Source
NOW -Soap Opera Star!
For most of us the memory of Anya has faded so much that we didn't even notice Fiona Wade's return to our screens in 2011 as Priya Sharma in
Emmerdale! It was during the filming process that she first laid eyes on her soon-to-be hubby, Simon Cotton or as fans know him: Hugh Bryant!
Image Source
21. Stephen Mulhern (Presenter)
Stephen Mulhern kick started his career as a presenter when he was hired by CITV to host
Finger Tips alongside Fearne Cotton. His talents became clear almost immediately, which landed him another position, this time on
Ministry of Mayhem with Holly Willoughby.
Image Source
NOW -Forever Baby Faced!
Unfortunately, we don't know Stephen Mulhern's secrets to maintaining a permanent baby face. Seriously, does this guy ever age? However, what we do know is that after leaving children's television, Mulhern has been a long-time presenter of
Britain's Got More Talent and
Catchphrase!
Image Source
22. Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Zack in Saved By The Bell)
American sitcom
Saved By The Bell was aired on CITV and featured Mark-Paul Gosselaar as the leading character Zachary ''Zach'' Morris - who could lie to your face and make you love him regardless. But now you probably wouldn't even recognise the cheeky chap!
Image Source
NOW -Family Man!
Gosselaar married advertising executive Catriona McGinn in August 2011 and together the couple have two children; a son named Dekker and a daughter named Lachlyn. As for his career, the star has made a number of television appearances and is set to return to our screens later this year in
The Passage.
Image Source
23. Tiffani Thiessen (Kelly in Saved By The Bell)
Kelly Kapowski was the girl everyone wanted to be in high school. She was popular, athletic and charismatic, yet she still somehow managed to keep her grades above average. Looking back, we really aren't sure how she did all that but being fictional probably helps, right?
Image Source
NOW -Happy Families!
Like her Saved By The Bell co-star Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Tiffani Thiessen has barely left our screens for a moment since the sitcom ended. She has starred in a variety of TV shows and movies over the years and even subtly appeared in
Hell's Kitchen at the chef's table in 2014!
Thiessen is also married to fellow American actor Brady Smith and together the pair have two children.
Image Source
24. Fred Dineage (How and How 2)
Fred Dineage was already a seasoned presenter when he joined the children's network for the epic
How and
How 2 television programmes, which were the definition of being both educational and most importantly -fun! We just know that if this guy was our maths or Science teacher we would have passed with flying colours...
Image Source
NOW -He Loves The Darker Things In Life!
After 31 years of hosting on CITV it makes sense that Dineage wanted a bit of a change. In 2006, the star entered into the world of news presenting and when he's not doing that, he's educating us on the gruesome crimes of infamous serial killers via his documentary series
Fred Dinenage Murder Casebook.
Image Source
25. Morwenna Banks (The Witches in Meg and Mog)
Meg and Mog was an animated adaption of the best selling book series of the same name which was written by Helen Nicoll. Morwenna Banks loaned her voice to the witches in the show, but we're pretty positive you will recognise her other works...
Image Source
NOW -She Has Us In Stitches!
This talented actress has been voicing Mummy Pig in
Peppa Pig since the show first launched back in 2004 as well as The Queen in the 2015 version of
Danger Mouse. Not only is Morwenna an icon in children's TV but she is also an award winning radio comedian!
Image Source
26. Sophie Aldred (WOW! Presenter)
Doctor Who actress Sophie Aldred spent a brief period as a presenter on CITV in 1996. During the week we could count on her presenting
It's a Mystery with Neil Bucanan and every Saturday morning she would host the well-loved magazine programme;
WOW!.
Image Source
NOW -Reunited...Sort Of!
Like the majority of The Doctor's companions, Aldred most likely thought she would never see the Time Lord again but boy was she wrong...
In 2012, the actress was cast as the voice of Tom in the BBC kid's series
Tree Fu Tom alongside David Tennant (Twigs) who just so happens to be the tenth incarnation of The Doctor!
Image Source
27. Anna Williamson (Presenter)
Anna Williamson spent a year co-presenting on the network and is perhaps most notable for hosting the one-off gameshow series
Rescue Robots, which if you haven't guessed it -was based on the combat competition show;
Robot Wars.
Image Source
NOW -TV Shrink!
2010 marked the end of Anna Williamson's career in children's entertainment, but don't worry she's doing just fine!
This Morning picked her up as an Agony Aunt in 2013 which allowed her the time to pen her book ''Breaking Mum And Dad: The Insider Guide to Parenting Anxiety''.
Image Source
28. Michael Underwood (Presenter)
Michael Underwood picked up the presenting role on
Jungle Run after Dominic Wood and Chris Jarvis jumped ship. Like many of our CITV heroes, we found ourselves being entertained by this star across the boar as he hopped between networks.
Image Source
NOW -He's Left The Jungle Behind Him!
Underwood switched from making kids laugh to entertaining adults when he was hired to host
Let Me Entertain You on Saturday nights back in 2014. The star now splits his time between his job as a reporter for
Do the Right Thing with Eamonn and Ruth and taking care of his two young children.
Image Source
29. Jane Danson (Children's Ward)
From 1995 to 1997, actress Jane Danson played the role of Paula in the ITV children's television drama
Children's Ward. Unsurprisingly, thee show was aimed towards older children since it dealt with young patients in the ward B1 at the fictitious South Park Hospital.
Image Source
NOW -Life On The Cobbles!
Paula is all grown up and has left the hospital for good but the drama isn't over for her quite yet! In fact, the actress spends the majority of her time on the cobbles of Coronation Street where she plays Leanne Battersby.
However Danson is set to take a break from the soap opera later on this year as she is to take part in the eleventh series of
Dancing On Ice, so keep your eyes peeled!
Image Source
30. Fearne Cotton (Presenter)
Can you believe Fearne Cotton was only 15-years-old when she first popped up on our screens in 1996?! In 2000, she left her role at GMTV to focus instead on a career with CITV, which included hosting
Draw Your Own Toons and
Mouse. The shows encouraged children to use computers which some would argue, our generation does very well...Thanks Fearne!
Image Source
NOW -Boss Lady!
As Fearne grew up she branched out and ended up working as a radio host (which eventually led to her own show on Radio 1), creating her own clothing lines and investing her free time in supporting charities. In 2008, she teamed up with Keith Lemon to present
Celebrity Juice but last year she left her post in order to pursue other projects.
Image Source
Thanks for reading!