Bella Ramsey ’embarrassed’ about buying first home at 22: ‘It feels very wrong’

By Carla Feric, Press Association Entertainment Reporter

Actor Bella Ramsey has admitted they feel “embarrassed” about buying their first home at 22, adding: “It feels very wrong.”

Ramsey started their career at 11, appearing in shows such as HBO fantasy series Game Of Thrones, but skyrocketed to fame aged 19 in post-apocalyptic drama The Last Of Us.

The role shot them to acclaim with nominations at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice and Emmy Awards, and they have since appeared in films including The Sheep Detectives and Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget.

In an interview with The Guardian, Ramsey reflected on navigating fame at a young age and discussed how it feels to compare their success to others their age.

“I’ve always felt slightly on the outside, too old and too young at the same time,” they said, speaking about how they often feel like the “odd one out” among their peers.

Ramsey, who recently revealed their autism diagnosis, added: “It’s probably a neurodiverse thing as well.

“I just felt like I couldn’t access anyone, or that people couldn’t access me. I just felt a bit strange.”

Ramsey discussed their starring role in CBBC series The Worst Witch, an adaptation of Jill Murphy’s popular book series, saying it was “terrible” to be “away from home for 16 weeks” to film the show.

They said: “(I was) home at weekends, but in a hotel room by myself at age 11.

“I was put in an interconnecting room with (a co-star) who was 10 and told that I was to help look after her.

“I felt like I could just do it. I didn’t feel that young. Now I look at 11-year-olds and I’m like, ‘God, you’re tiny’.”

The Nottingham-born star described the experience as “one of the worst times and the best times of my young little life”, adding: “I guess it sealed the thing that was already there, of being older than I was.”

Buying a house is impossible now, and it’s only because I ended up in this industry that pays people too much money, that I’ve been able to do it. It just feels like a glitch in the system. I feel so embarrassed by it

Ramsey also discussed buying their first flat at 22 and told the newspaper: “It feels very wrong! You’re not supposed to do that until you’re older.

“I’ve done it a bit early. I started working when I was 11 and I’m now 22, so it’s been 10 years.

“I guess people maybe start working when they’re 21 and then buy a house when they’re 31, so I don’t know.

“Buying a house is impossible now and it’s only because I ended up in this industry that pays people too much money that I’ve been able to do it.

“It just feels like a glitch in the system. I feel so embarrassed by it.”

They also said calling acting a career “feels wrong”, saying they still find it “very strange” that something they started doing for fun has become their job.

When asked if they think they will view acting as a career over time, they added: “It has definitely been an experience that is now feeling like work, which it hadn’t when I was younger.”

Ramsey has had a busy career as a young actor, also appearing in films such as Catherine Called Birdy, Holmes & Watson and upcoming coming-of-age comedy Sunny Dancer.

The star is also due to appear in the upcoming series of BBC reality show The Celebrity Traitors, alongside stars such as Michael Sheen, Miranda Hart and James Blunt.