Jo Gallagher, the principal of Stagecoach Loughborough, has known Bella Ramsey since she was in primary school.
Right now, the 19-year-old, Nottingham-born actor is one of the most famous faces on the planet thanks to their starring role in the critically acclaimed HBO show, The Last of Us.
The post-apocalyptic series is based on the video game of the same name and sees Bella share the screen with Pedro Pascal.
But long before making the big time, Bella was just another student at Stagecoach Loughborough.
Well, not exactly, as Jo pointed out when chatting to Metro.co.uk this week, making it clear Bella’s talent always stood out.
‘We’ve known Bella since she was at primary school,’ Jo explained, ‘because my mum was the headteacher.’
Asked whether there was any specific advice she gave Bella, who joined Stagecoach Loughborough at the age of ‘seven or eight’, Jo revealed: ‘We’d always say to Bella: “Look, if you need anything, if you’re going for anything, if you want to do anything, come to us and we’ll help you”.’
‘Bella would pick things up within two or three goes. What talent, to be able to do that. They’d always listen and take things on board but also have great fun,’ Jo added.
Bella, who was born Isabella May Ramsey in Nottingham in September 2003, has been acting since she was four years old and joined her local Stagecoach group over ten years ago.
Jo knew straight away Bella would go on to do big things.
‘We could tell from the beginning that they had potential in all three disciplines. They really were a triple threat,’ Jo told us.
‘There was something about drama that you could see Bella really took on board. They sort of took on everything and went for it. To have them coming along and enjoying it every week was just a pleasure.’
It was Bella’s standout role in Game of Thrones as the fearsome Lady Lyanna that earned her international recognition and in 2017 the actor made her debut as the lead character Mildred Hubble in the TV series The Worst Witch, based on the beloved book series of the same name.
But one of Bella’s most memorable roles at Stagecoach Loughborough was far less glamorous, Jo told us.
‘Once, Bella and her sister were the front and back end of a pantomime cow. They were the Ramsey Cow and it was just hilarious to see the rapport between the two of them.’
As for any traits of Bella’s that really stood out? ‘Bella was grownup before her time,’ Jo replied.
‘That sounds a bit old fashioned, and I don’t mean it like that, but they had a good head on their shoulders.
‘Bella was always sensible with a fabulous sense of humour.’
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We can’t wait to see what Bella does next!
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