Ryan Reeves

**Ryan Reeves** was a main character in CBBC's The Dumping Ground who made his first appearance in Series 3, episode 2, Grand Theft DG. He left in the Season 7 mid-season finale, A Million Ways to Say Goodbye. He was portrayed by actor Lewis G Hamilton.

## Biography

Ryan lived with his mother and sister (Chloe Reeves) initially.

With him being the older sibling, he would have to look after his sister when his mum was out, which was most of the time. At the age of 5/6, he was placed in to care after an incident that led to Ryan supposedly pushing Chloe out of a window and paralysing her. After the incident his mother lied, saying she'd been in the house and seen the incident take place. This was later proven untrue.

It is unknown how many different places Ryan was moved after this but he has been in the care of multiple foster families. Most of his time in care however has been burdened by people thinking he was evil, a reputation his behavior doesn't help. In one foster family he had a foster brother named Owen who taught him how to skate. They were seemingly close, however he was later moved. He also lived at Heithview House for a period of time where he stole other young peoples presents and sold them. He was then moved to Ashdene Ridge

## The Dumping Ground

* Series 3
* Series 4

#### 3A

Ryan arrived at Ashdene Ridge in Grand Theft DG where he was quickly told this was a 'fresh start' for him by Mike Milligan. However, after distracting Mike, he got on to his computer and deleted an email regarding a meeting with his social worker, then he spilt coffee over the keyboard to prevent it working. He lied to Mike, saying it was an accident. Afterwards, after finding out he'd be sharing a room with Mo, he develops a plan regarding how to get Johnny to switch rooms with him. After he overhears Maude talking to her parents, he realises she stole the wallets and convinces her to give him the money so he could bribe Johnny. Except, Johnny doesn't take the bribe. Afterwards Ryan is left dealing with Maude when he overhears Tee and Mo listening in and pretends that he 'caught the thief'. This heroic side of Ryan earns him trust from Mike and Johnny thanks him by letting him have his bedroom. It also starts his rivalry with Tee, who is suspicious of him.

After this, Ryan is seen to be getting on well with Johnny, but still scheming. In Episode 4 it's revealed that he has a fear of dogs, due to his early childhood, so when Bailey brings Mischief home, he panics. After Mike considers letting Bailey keep Mischief, Ryan leads the dog to Carmen's room with crisps. Resulting in Mischief chewing up her pillow and Mike saying he can't stay. However, Ryan is concerned again when it looks like he might be able to when Bailey successfully trains him. In a last attempt to get rid of the dog, he cuts Mischief's collar off whilst he is tied up in the shed and Ryan throws food over the fence, so Mischief runs off. Mischief runs out onto the road, where a car runs him over, so he has to go to the vets. Bailey is furious when he discovers it was Ryan. The others are as well, turning on him briefly before Ryan comes up with a plan to sell soup in order to pay the vet bills, as he didn't mean for Mischief to get hurt, he just wanted him gone.

In Episode 6 Ryan causes even more trouble when he convinces Tyler to steal the office computer, sell it and stage a break in. However, whilst trying to sell it, they're only offered £45. Ryan is fine with this, but Tyler isn't. Both feeling guilty about Tee losing school work, they start acting weirdly. The police are called about the break in and when Jody notices Tyler acting weird, she finds out what's happened and forces Ryan and Tyler to take the computer back. Offering less money that what they were given to get it back, it's tough, but eventually they convince the shop keeper to give them the computer back, by threatening to protest. Tyler's guilt leads him to confess what happened to Mike. When Mike asks if he was the only one involved, he looks directly at Ryan, knowing exactly who's idea it was. But Tyler takes the fall and Ryan get's away with it.

In Episode 7 Ryan seems intrigued with the rest of the house, even going to Mike about Carmen trashing Jody's Mount Everest model. However this sudden interest in his housemates goes too far in Episode 9 when he breaks into the office to read everyone's files. In doing this, he also realises it's Harry's birthday, and as he really likes him, he sends him a text. He's concerned when he get's a reply saying 'Help'. Later, Mike is furious with him when he figures out he read the files, but when Ryan tries to explain the text in order to defend himself, he reveals that he also deleted it. Mike fails to believe him and sends him to his room, causing Ryan to sneak out in order to go rescue Harry. Once he is at Harry's foster parent's (Mr Atcliffe) house, he finds him with Finn McLaine, a boy who has been badly treated because of his down sydrome/Harry's new friend, and Ryan get's them out of the house, Mr Atcliffe sees however, and follows them in the car. Meanwhile Tee presses Mike about Ryan's background after he's been telling lies to the others, but Mike refuses to tell her, as the information has to be kept private. He's interrupted by Ryan running in through the door with Harry and Finn. Ryan tries to explain everything to Mike, but he is stopped when Mr Atcliffe enters. Whilst Mike deals with the situation, he tries to send Ryan upstairs, but Ryan refuses, not wanting the boys to go back, and stops Mr Atcliffe leaving, and convinces Harry to confess.

After it's all said and done, Mike apologises to Ryan but doesn't excuse him for the files. Ryan accepts this, and is grateful for Mike helping Harry and Finn, but is then confronted with Tee, whom he threatens to back off as Johnny isn't going to be there to protect her, anymore, as he plans to join the army.

In Episode 10 Ryan then proceeds to help Johnny get evidence against his step-father Keith Taylor. Johnny protects Tee and his mother, by telling his step-father that he'll report him and lies about not joining the army, if Keith stays, because he doesn't want his family to get hurt. Keith leaves, and never returns, and Johnny thanks Ryan for his help, and the two remain good friends. Then Johnny leaves for the army, and says his goodbyes to Ryan and Tee, and Ryan is left with no one to call a friend.

#### 3B

In The New Girl, Ryan assists Bailey and Mo watering the neighbours plants in order to get a reward. After teasing Bailey and Mo, a tape belonging to Mo get's stuck in the VHS player and Ryan tries to get it out in order to get the entire reward. In the end, Sasha has to help them retrieve the tape and both Bailey and Ryan are dissapointed when it's revealed that the reward is tickets for a junior gardener club.

Ryan acts up again in Who Are You? when playing hide and seek with Harry and taking Tee's phone, and deleting a text from Johnny to Tee saying he can't come to bowling. Fearing that bowling would be cancelled for everyone, Ryan deletes the text and is seen smiling back at Tee whilst heading off to the bowling. The next day, Tee accuses Ryan of deleting the text and Ryan lies his way out of it. Taking him at his word, Mike goes to a meeting. Then, when confronted by Tee, he admits that he did delete the text and tells her that she doesn't want to find out how low he can get. Then after getting a card from his sister, Chloe, he freaks out. This gives Tee leverage and her and Sasha go to his old care home (Heathview House) after getting the address from the card. There they meet Laces, a person who they don't know mistreated Ryan when he lived there, and tells them about what Ryan did. In order to expose Ryan, they throw him a birthday party and lie to the others. When Ryan walks in he's upset at first, as he hates his birthday, but after talking with Tee, he accepts it and talks about his sister, Chloe. Feeling bad, Tee tries to stop Laces but it's too late. Laces comes in and reveals that Ryan used to steal peoples birthday presents and sell them. Ryan stands up for himself and tells the others about how he was put into care on his birthday and Laces destroyed the card he got. Then Tee apologises and although he accepts this and comes clean about the text, when talking to Tee later he tricks her in to saying certain things, records her and the edits the audio so it sounds like Tee is saying mean things about the others. He did this because he can't bring himself to forgive her, for throwing him a birthday party and talking to Laces. When confronted once again, Ryan taunts Tee and get's away with it all.

In What Matters Ryan tries to get the skate night tickets off of Tee and Sasha. When Tee pops out and Sasha leaves Billie and Toni in charge of cooking the lasagne, Ryan distracts them in order to set the timer back so the lasagne doesn't cook. Tee and Sasha are mad when they realise what he's done and sneak out, instead of selling him the tickets. After, the twins get in to trouble, because of this Ryan continues to taunt Tee about the incident.

May Li's grandmother arrives to see May Li and starts teaching the children Kung Fu in Coming Round. Ryan, after Jody is careless with a paper mache frog he get's from his sister, Chloe, challenges her to a competition to see who wins the Kung Fu task. If Ryan wins, he gets to keep Jody's Music box, as he finds it annoying and knows how much it means to her. Felling overly-confident, he says Jody get's to be left alone and get's the frog, if he loses. As the day progresses, Ryan continuously mocks Jody about her family. Then, when listening in on her and Popo talking about how Jody wrote a mean letter addressed to her mother, in order to vent, he rummages through her things until he finds it. He taunts her, before posting the letter. This makes Jody furious and anxious, but also determined to seek revenge. Then, after going through his things, Jody finds Ryan's letters from his sister, Chloe, and when he tries to bring up her family in the final task, Jody says Chloe's name, causing him to lose. Later, Jody comes to collect the frog but as soon as he gingerly hands it to her, she decides to let him have it, as long as he reads his letters from Chloe. Ryan then reads Chloe's latest letter saying, 'Come see me, I forgive you.'

Ryan get's mad again in Refuge when Mike promises to take him to a skate contest, and then goes back on his word after Kazima is at risk of being deported. Despite being mad at first, Ryan seemingly accepts this. However, when someone goes to the press about how Kazima used to be a thief (as her only way to survive on the streets), all the efforts seem pointless. After Bailey get's blamed for this, Tee suspects Ryan. Sasha get's hold of his phone and they see the number. However, Ryan chases them and the phone is destroyed. Later, Ryan returns to his room to find Sasha has glued his things together. She makes him own up and forces him tells donate his skateboard as a punishment. He never brings himself to skate again, after that, as he doesn't want it to look like Sasha hurt his feelings.

#### 4A

In Bear Faced Liar Ryan is cast as Leontis in Carmen's version of 'A Winter's Tale' where he has to portray the husband of Tee. He joins in with the group and works through their differences. However in They Walk Among Us it's shown that this hasn't changed how he treats Tee as he informs her that her boyfriend, Zack, only dates model-type girls and then teases her whilst she's working out, when she feels pressured to stay fit, to remain in a relationship with Zack.

More about Ryan's past is learned in Hold The Front Page when he's accused of pushing Finn McLaine down the stairs. Refusing to give a definitive answer about whether he did or not, Ryan asked to be transferred. The only person fighting his corner is Harry, who overhears a conversation between Mike and May Li about how Ryan should meet up with his sister (Chloe Reeves), he goes through Ryan's things and takes a letter. When Ryan catches them he freaks out, refusing to talk to anyone about the incident. Then, when it's discovered that Finn tripped and everyone apologises, Harry reveals that he contacted Chloe and she wants to come over. Ryan eventually agrees and the others help put together a spread for them.

When Chloe arrives, Ryan is awkward but eventually the two get talking, unaware that Tee and Sasha are listening in. The conversation goes well at first, until Chloe asks why Ryan did 'it'. Ryan explains that he doesn't know but Chloe keeps pushing, revealing that it's his fault she's in a wheelchair, before going off in frustration and leaving Ryan alone. Later after storming off, Ryan comes downstairs to over hear Mike talking to the other about Ryan pushing Chloe out of a window when they were younger. Angry, Ryan tells Mike to leave him alone. Then, after Tyler discovers something out about Chloe's fall, Ryan and Chloe are reunited, learning that their mother lied about witnessing the event, she's left them alone. Chloe stays for tea and then promises to come again. Mike then apologises to Ryan and tries to convince him he really didn't tell the others about Chloe. Ryan says he forgives him, but is then seen glaring back, blatantly showing that he hasn't.

Ryan is then seen teasing Sasha in Submarine, as he sneaks upstairs and watches Sasha's vlog. When she catches him, he says she's immature, making her feel insecure. Later, after running away and getting arrested, Sasha has a welcome home party and pranks Ryan by putting his face in chocolate cake as payback.

His rivalry with Mike is then revisited in First Past The Post Mike arrives at The Dumping Ground incredibly stressed in this episode and Ryan soon picks up on this, listening in on conversations that he has with May Li. Later, once again he teases Sasha about being a 'loser'. Then, when Mike snaps at Harry telling him he can't go to the skate park, Ryan comforts him and they go to play football. Ryan complains about Mike letting them down and clearly suggests he let's him down the most. Whilst still outside, Sasha get's her own back on Ryan for their earlier altercation, using the dogs Bailey was dog-sitting to scare him off. Then Ryan get's frustrated with Mike again when he asks him to talk about Harry and then get's distracted. Ryan lingers near the office long enough to hear that Carmen's file is in Mike's car.

After the election is said and done, Mike goes out to find that his car has been broken in to. After telling Carmen that her file is missing Carmen tells the police that she wants to report Mike. This leads to Mike having to temporarily step down. Ryan listens with all the other young people. However, as Mike leaves Ashdene Ridge, Ryan is seen watching out of his window. It's then revealed that Ryan has Mike's briefcase. He hides it in his wardrobe and looks incredibly proud of himself.

This drama continues in Survivors when, as May Li is attempting to cheer everyone up about Mike being suspended, Ryan realises Harry is upset and stays at home with him and Carmen. As Harry shuts himself in his room, Ryan and Carmen try to persuade him to come out but he doesn't budge. Ryan notices Carmen's guilt but whilst confronting her about it, they realise Harry has gone. They think about where he could be and go to look in the park. Here, a seemingly guilty Ryan starts blaming himself and Carmen confesses to him that she told the police. Ryan then proceeds to try and convince her to come clean to the others. Later, after realising Harry could be at Mike's and finding him there, Ryan's guilt continues to eat away at him after Harry says he hated the person who stole the file. As they arrive home, Carmen decides not to tell the others and Ryan says he'll keep quiet.

This promise doesn't last long as in The End of It All Ryan tries to convince Carmen to come clean again, this time Sasha overhears and wonders what they were talking about. Ryan manages to get out of the blame as Carmen comes clean to Sasha and Tee, who later tell everyone else. After becoming public enemy number 1, Ryan tells Carmen that she needs to fix it and even Tee agrees. There attempt fails and when the young people are told that Mike's verdict is coming up they all get ready to face the music. Ryan looks guilty and contemplates telling everyone it was him and giving the files back. Instead he plants them in the office and convinces everyone to look for Mike's time sheets. When the files are found in the recylce bin, everyone is exctatic, and they race to the court in time to save Mike's job.

At a party in celebration of this, Mike questions how they found the files and when he realises It was Ryan's idea to look for the timesheets, he realises what's happened and confronts Ryan. After admitting what he's done, Mike yells, saying that he worries about the way Ryan thinks, but ultimately forgives him.

## Relationships

### Joseph Stubbs (hates him because he can't figure him out; lives at Ashdene Ridge)

Charlie Morris (connects with her when she helps him at Work Experience; lives with at Ashdene Ridge)

## Trivia

* Ryan is considered by most fans as the 'most evil' character on the show.
* His accent suggests he was born near Liverpool, however his sister Chloe has a Scottish accent, which was explained as because she moved to Scotland when she was younger. It's unknown if this was before or after Ryan was placed into care.
* Throughout the show, Ryan committed several crimes, including trying to blackmail Maude, stealing the computer, breaking into Mike's car and stealing a watch.
* It was suggested that Ryan has previously attended counselling after the incident with Chloe in the episode Hold the Front Page
* It is likely Ryan suffers from an undiagnosed mental health condition such as depression, especially when looking at his actions in the Season 6 finale.
* He is the second character in the Beaker franchise to be named 'Ryan', after Ryan Patterson from The Story of Tracy Beaker
* He used to live above a shop
* He appeared in a special video for the online 'Save Mike' campaign alongside Jody.
* In Series 5, Episode 11 it was revealed he had a grandfather in the war.
* He's a vegetarian, as shown in Series 5, Episode 10
* He had the most centric episodes in The Dumping Ground Series 3
* He is the first character to have multiple centric double finale episodes with Surviors, End of It All and RyanMan, Holding Out For A Hero.