10 July 2023 , 20:24
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Wild At Heart actress Rafaella Hutchinson looks unrecognisable 16 years after playing Amanda Holden's daughter on the show.
The former child star rose to national fame in 2006 after she was cast as Olivia Trevanion on Wild at Heart, an ITV series that followed a British veterinarian and his family on their move to South Africa to set up an animal hospital.
The role saw Rafaella, now 28, play the young daughter of Amanda Holden ’s character, Sarah, and is largely considered to be the Hertfordshire native’s breakthrough part.
Prior to this, she had cameos in shows like Trust Me and Life of Mars, along with the BBC One drama Doctors and the TV miniseries, Beethoven. Rafaella would later step back from screen acting, however, to pursue a career in music and theatre arts.
The TV actress rose to fame 16 years ago (rafireaky/Instagram)After training at the award-winning Institute of Contemporary Music Performance in London, she was hired at the Royal Shakespeare Company and landed parts in plays such as the Merry Wives of Windsor and The Rise and Fall of Little Voice.
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Today, Rafaella looks completely different from her childhood self. Photos on the talented artist’s Instagram account reveal that the English singer-songwriter has chopped her once long hair into a short bob and is sporting an array of bright tattoos, much to the surprise of Wild at Heart fans. It appears she's also experimented with different hair colors, including burgundy, blonde and pink.
Rafaella’s younger sister, Tigerlily Hutchinson, also pursued a career in showbiz, as did her mother, Sally George. Her father, meanwhile, earned his living as fund manager in the City.
Wild at Heart ended with a two-hour-long special on December 30, 2012, marking the final episode of it seven seasons.
In 2008, Amanda revealed she quit her Wild at Heart in order to spend more time with her daughter. She played Sarah Trevanion from 2006 until her final episode two years later.
Speaking to the now defunct News of the World, Amanda explained: "It's just got too much. I can't have my daughter running around in elephant s*** any more. Lexi's two and hasn't spent a summer in England yet. I can't take her away from my family any more.
"It's not fair, especially on my mum, to be out of the country for six months again. Wild At Heart was a huge experience and I don't regret it for a minute, but I have to call it a day."