When it came to afterschool TV in the nineties, The Queen’s Nose had children up and down the country totally engrossed. With Harmony Parker’s mystical 50 pence coin allowing her wishes to come true when Queen Elizabeth II’s nose was rubbed, it opened up a whole new world of possibilities for the youngest as she navigated the trials and tribulations of everyday life – all with the help of Uncle Ginger’s magical gift.
However, all good things must come to an end and after seven series, The Queen’s Nose sadly stopped airing new episodes in 2003. Although more than two decades have passed since it was last on our screens, the show has gone down as one of the most iconic children’s shows of the nineties. Here, The Mirror takes a look down memory lane to see what the cast of the beloved show are up to now…
Victoria Shalet, who played Harmony, was the star of the show – and first held the coin so many kids really wanted. She played the role for three series, though did not return for the reboot in 2000. Victoria wasn’t just one of those one-hit-wonder child stars and the actress continued to get casted in popular shows, including Midsomer Murders and Jonathan Creek. But by 2021, she had changed careers and is now a humanistic psychotherapist and counsellor, reports Hull Live.
Heather Jay-Jones played Harmony’s older sister, Melody, and appeared in every single episode of the series. Melody had a number of amazing acting gigs as a child, appearing in popular emergency service show London’s Burning and The Bill. Post Queen’s Nose, she quit acting to become a teacher.
Mrs Parker was, of course, the mum of Harmony and Melody. While most of the cast made their debut on the 90s show, Paula Wilcox was already well known for her role in the 70s show Man About The House. As well as appearing in TV shows including Footballer’s Wives, Holby City and Rock & Chips, Paula has also appeared in a number of soaps. She played Hilary Potts in Emmerdale from 2007 to 2008 and, from 2020 to 2023, starred in Coronation Street as Elaine Jones. Most recently, she appeared in BBC’s The Cleaner in 2024.
Stephen was already an established actor by the time he joined the cast of The Queen’s Nose. He went on to appear in The History Boys in the West End, playing Hector, in 2006. He also played the Prime Minister in The Boat That Rocked in 2009.
He sadly died in October 2019, aged 81. The news was shared on X by The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy producer Dirk Maggs. He wrote: “Our dear friend Stephen Moore has died. A fine actor, a lovely man and the original and most iconic voice of Marvin The Paranoid Android in The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy. Our thoughts are with his family and our memories of him will always make us smile. RIP Stephen.”
Uncle Ginger was the one who originally owned the magic coin and gave it to Harmony. Actor Donald Sumpter was well known when he joined the series thanks to his roles in Doctor Who.
Since The Queen’s Nose, he has appeared in films including The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Constant Gardener and also played Maester Luwin in the first two series of HBO hit Game of Thrones. His other recent TV credits include Peaky Blinders, Chernobyl and Les Miserables.
Sam became the next owner of the Queen’s Nose after Harmony’s departure. Ella Jones continued acting for several years, appearing in episodes of Doctors and Silent Witness, among other shows. The former actress hasn’t left the industry altogether. She has since switched careers by moving into directing and script editing.
Jake was the last owner of the Queen’s Nose for its seventh and final series in 2003. Three years later, actor Jordan perhaps became best known for his role as Adil the Genie in the children’s comedy Genie in the House on Nickelodeon. He has since popped up in Misfits, played Les Dennis in the TV movie Tommy Cooper: Not Like That, Like This, and had a supporting role in the 2014 movie Pride.
In The Queen’s Nose, Paul Danan starred as Melody’s agent, Max, for three episodes. This was a year after he left Hollyoaks as Sol, and since then he became best known for stints on reality shows such as Celebrity Love Island and Celebrity Big Brother.
Sadly, in January 2025, he was pronounced dead at his home in Brislington, Bristol. He was just 46 years old. The primary cause of his death was revealed as a “combined toxicity of heroin, methadone, codeine, pregabalin, cocaine and zopiclone, with a secondary contributory finding of benzodiazepine“, according to an inquest held in Bristol’s Avon Coroner’s Court.
His management described Paul as a “beacon of light” as they announced his death. Their statement read: “His untimely departure will leave irreplaceable voids in the lives of all who knew him.”
His tragic passing came just months after Paul was rushed to hospital and given CPR after he suffered respiratory failure brought on by his addiction to vapes. His diagnosis at the time was so bad that his family had been warned that “he might not make it”.
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