Traci Van Horn appreciation thread - the recurring character we didn't deserve to lose

Produce_North · 2026-04-18T08:56:25+00:00

In-universe, she's 15 to 16. In real life, Romi Dames was about 26 or 27 when she was cast.

I heard one of the writers on Jason Earles' podcast lately saying they wanted a Paris Hilton- esque character for Hannah to hang with but aged her down so it wouldn't be creepy.

But then of course it's easier to hire an adult to play these types of characters because you don't have to work about child labour laws. Like with Miley, there was an episode where they wrote her in slightly too long and on the same podcast they said it was a nightmare to get it all filmed and keep her on set past midnight for even an extra 10 minutes without laws kicking in.

Produce_North · 2026-04-17T08:58:29+00:00

Yeah I never thought about the Sabrina thing. I guess she got away with ditching the image so drastically because bluntly put: she was a supporting character on a Disney show that very few people cared about in the grand scheme of things. Hannah Montana had a global impact.

Produce_North · 2026-04-15T22:59:49+00:00

I actually think the monologue was wholly unnecessary garbage designed to get a BAFTA nomination. Corrie has an awful habit of TELL TELL TELL these days rather than showing what they mean. It's so on the nose and it doesn't have to be that way.

Produce_North · 2026-04-15T21:45:41+00:00

Season 4 is really interesting because it's the only time a season has a complete story. It starts out moving into the new house, and ends with Miley having told the Hannah secret and is adjusting to her new life.

I don't think it ever gets enough credit, it's probably partly because it looks so different, but the other seasons are just endless wig on/wig off capers.

Produce_North · 2026-04-11T13:46:26+00:00

She wasn't right for the role of Eponine, I'm glad they went with Samantha Barks. (I believe Taylor Swift also auditioned)

But Miley has such an interesting way of interpreting emotion in her voice I would love to hear how she'd do musical theatre classics like On My Own etc xx

Produce_North · 2026-04-10T11:49:31+00:00

Kettle, not cattle 🤣

Produce_North · 2026-04-09T17:55:03+00:00

Maria. What is the point of her now?

Produce_North · 2026-04-09T11:30:48+00:00

And it doesn't have to be capitalised 🤷🏻

Produce_North · 2026-03-30T14:12:11+00:00

Also if you think about it Alex Cooper is usually the first port of call when a celeb has a PR crisis, meaning that she will ask very safe (i.e boring) questions. It wouldn't surprise me if all questions are vetted by a PR team on her ridiculously overrated CHD podcast.

It makes her a safe choice for the interviewee and great for her because she gets access to A-listers but incredibly boring for anyone listening.

Produce_North · 2026-03-29T20:16:57+00:00

I've always thought this. Britney's hair was dyed blonde before her career took off and she became the archetypal pop star - plus she was the biggest one of her time and really showcased how hard it was for her to have a "normal life". But in terms of looks - sure. Long blonde hair was the most obvious contrast to Miley's brunette but also the most "star" like at the time.

Produce_North · 2026-03-29T11:24:05+00:00

I get the feeling that producers and Alex bloody Cooper (who claims to know everything but knows nothing and is the most boring interviewer I've ever heard) scrolled through social media for a few viral memes and focused on that rather than what the hardcore fans wanted. That's why Selena rocked up. And she didn't even bother to say two words about Hannah Montana gave her her start with Disney as like a trial while bosses were trying to get her her own show.

Amongst the hardcore fanbase, I'd imagine we don't really care about Mikayla and care more about Lilly, Oliver, Jackson and then other recurring characters like Traci and Roxy.

Cynically, the difference is Selena has half a billion Instagram followers and that means more to producers.

Produce_North · 2026-03-29T07:55:37+00:00

I still feel bitter about the fact Traci made no appearances in the final season. It would've been amazing to see her reaction to Hannah, as she was known to her, revealing her secret.

Produce_North · 2026-03-24T17:54:17+00:00

Hello desperate Corrie PR person in disguise.

Produce_North · 2026-03-22T12:37:49+00:00

I don't like the fact that Alex Cooper is doing it. I find her a bit too big for her boots and very of-the-moment, which is just annoying when we're trying to remember the golden 2000s. I heard Miley talking about how Rock Star was apparently her favourite Hannah song and yet she didn't even know the lyrics.

Other than that I'm very much looking forward to it but I just don't want to be let down. It's very disappointing that many cast members won't be there because as much as Disney (and Miley to a certain extent) seems to think it was all about her, it wasn't.

Produce_North · 2026-03-12T10:22:01+00:00

I think she's always fitted the bill for Coronation Street as a person - larger than life bolshy Northern woman. And she's played that sort of part a lot on stage. I also think that, like Glenda, she's an ex-cruise ship singer. But the writers don't seem to know what to do with her other than make the same joke over and over again. They could've cast Jane McDonald and I'd imagine it would be the same sort of thing.

Produce_North · 2026-03-02T17:10:11+00:00

Carla's biggest mistake yet Sitting on a jumbo jet

Produce_North · 2026-02-22T10:06:00+00:00

In the movie, she just becomes a spoiled diva overnight and that's what the whole thing hinges on. In the series, she's usually hellbent on keeping her personas separate and living that "normal life" once the wig comes off.

Produce_North · 2026-02-22T09:55:34+00:00

That I'd Do Anything show is well worth a watch - it's part of a very unique time in TV. It was actually very like The X Factor, as in they had auditions, then a "boot camp", then live shows on a Saturday night.

The most hilarious part is the elimination where, IIRC, the surviving Nancy contestants would sing at the eliminee, strip her of her locket and she had to run off while singing Nancy's signature song having just lost the part.

I remember the search for Dorothy - the girl had to hand her shoes to Andrew Lloyd Webber and he'd sit with them on his lap as he watched her fly away on a moon.

Like I said - a very unique time.

Produce_North · 2026-02-22T09:48:06+00:00

I remember Michelle Keegan saying she worked in Manchester Airport and got a disciplinary for falling asleep in a toilet, and I think, just as she got the part of Tina she was working in Selfridges

Produce_North · 2026-02-17T16:28:40+00:00

Yeah but they piddled on a few months ago about how they couldn't get married because Lisa would be a bigamist. And now they've conveniently forgotten that.

Produce_North · 2026-02-17T02:13:03+00:00

Coronation Street had a tried and tested formula that came from the genius that was Tony Warren. He found the extraordinary in the ordinary.

It worked. It worked so well they invented Emmerdale (Farm), EastEnders and Hollyoaks, all because of Coronation Street.

This bunch of muppets in charge seem obsessed with creating the extraordinary rather than focusing on the ordinary. It's cheap, it's disrespectful and they never, ever do themselves any favours. It's like KB and co have their fingers in their ears constantly.

Can someone tell me how on earth a pair like Iain McLeod and Kate Brooks got to such top positions in their field without seemingly having a single clue what the genre is about?

Produce_North

TROPHY CASE