The former BBC child star is leading a completely different life away from the spotlight
Victoria Shalet is best known for playing Harmony in The Queen’s Nose (Image: REX/Shutterstock)
The Queen’s Nose star Victoria Shalet looks almost unrecognisable over 30 years since she rose to fame.
Fans of the nineties show will remember the actress playing Harmony in the children’s programme, which was based on Dick King-Smith’s novel of the same name.
It followed Harmony, a 12-year-old who was gifted a magical 50p coin by her uncle Ginger. The coin had powers to grant wishes when Queen Elizabeth II’s nose was rubbed.
Leading actress Victoria starred on the show from its debut in 1995 until season four, when the story took a new direction without her character.
But her career didn’t end there, Victoria went on to appear in TV shows like The Quest and Midsomer Murders.
The London-born performer also had memorable movie roles in the 1995 horror Haunted and 2003 drama Eroica. But even Victoria’s biggest fans would struggle to recognise the actress now, almost 15 years since her last role.
The 44-year-old is now a psychotherapist for individuals and couples, working in areas including abuse, grief and child-related issues.
Victoria recalls her past life on her website, writing: “Before becoming a psychotherapist, I spent over two decades working as an actor in film, television, theatre, and radio.
“This immersive experience of observing and portraying the human condition deepened my curiosity about why we do what we do—and how our internal world shapes our behaviour and relationships.”
She has previously opened up about leaving the industry, confessing that she simply lost her spark for performing.
Speaking to Glamour, she explained: “From the age of six, I was acting, but I got to my early twenties and realised my heart just wasn’t in it.
“Then I had some therapy myself and it really did make me re-evaluate what I wanted from life. I did a foundation year in counselling and knew I wanted to take it further.”
Victoria went on to describe the moment everything changed, sharing: “The crunch came when I was accepted onto a training course that would qualify me to be a therapist.
“On the same day, I got a call-back from an audition to be a regular in Holby City. When I didn’t get the part, I saw it as a sign that I had to give up acting altogether to do the three-year course. I had to make a choice and I’ve never regretted it.”
Old episodes of The Queen’s Nose are currently available to watch on YouTube