Exclusive:
Lucy Heath, 36, from Birmingham, was a finalist on Britain’s Got Talent 2016 with Trip Hazard, and has since featured in ITV’s The Secret Life of Our Pets, Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show and even trained Pomeranians for Bridgerton
Image: Lucy Heath)
Since performing on Britain’s Got Talent in 2016, Lucy Heath and her talented pup Trip Hazard have gone on to achieve incredible things.
From appearing on Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show to starring in crime series Pennyworth and training dogs for Bridgerton, the doggy duo have experience it all.
Sharing her career highlights, Lucy told The Mirror: “It really is my dream job. I’m not rich from doing any of it but I’m able to do what I love for a living and be comfortable. There’s nothing else I’d rather do.”
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The 36-year-old discovered her love for dogs at a young age, after watching Mary Ray’s spectacular dancing show on Crufts.
Lucy said: “It was the most magical thing I’d ever seen. I was obsessed. It could make me cry and I always dreamed of having a bond with a dog like that.
“The minute I got my first dog, I started watching YouTube tutorials to learn tips and tricks.”
When Lucy was 21, she got Shetland sheepdog Ash and began working with a local dog training business in Grantham performing at small displays.
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In 2012, Lucy rose to fame after winning ITV’s That Dog Can Dance with her border collie Indie.
The TV show kickstarted her entire career and she was later scouted for Britain’s Got Talent in 2016.
“Britain’s Got Talent was one of the proudest moments of my life,” Lucy said.
Also high up there is ranking second place at Crufts with Indie, which Lucy says was a “magical” moment.
Now, Lucy and her partner Ross have eight dogs in total, including collie Foxy, nine, Pomeranian cross Trip Hazard, eight, Pomeranian cross Dizzy, six, collie Strike, three, collie Tempo, one, and her latest pup who is yet to be named.
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“A lot of people think my house must be crazy, but the dogs are super easy – it’s my 18-month-old son that isn’t!” Lucy chuckled.
With the help of her agency Birds and Animals, Lucy got a behind-the-scenes look at the filming of Netflix’s Bridgerton in 2019.
The professional dog trainer was tasked with handling six Pomeranians for the roles of Queen Charlotte’s pets.
“I borrowed the dogs from the breeder of Trip and Dizzy, all six of them were pedigree Pomeranians,” Lucy said.
“I didn’t have to train them to do any tricks, it was mostly to sit still and stay on set.”
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Lucy was taken on by Charlotte Wilde Film and TV animals to train cats for The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, and found stardom with her collie Strike on ITV’s The Secret Life of Our Pets in 2021.
And her TV fame doesn’t stop there – Trip has featured in a John Lewis Christmas ad, starred in Pennyworth and Ted Lasso and even performed on Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show.
Lucy has also trained her pups to help around the house when they’re off-duty.
“Trip can put things in the bin, tidy away toys and fetch me objects. He’s even learnt how to paint a canvas,” she said.
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“We’re always up for something new. I mainly love to do event performances and work with my own dogs,” Lucy said.
From Crufts to DogFest and All About Dogs, you’ll find Lucy and The Trickstars at every big dog event in the UK.
Though fans don’t just enjoy watching her in person – she’s become a star on social media too.
Lucy’s TikTok account, The Trickstars, has more than 30.4 million likes and 1.7 million followers.
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“We had absolutely nothing to do in lockdown so my partner Ross and I started doing daily dance challenges, then we made dog versions,” Lucy said.
“Our first couple of videos went viral really fast. It kept us all amused in lockdown.”
Lucy documents her favourite tricks at home with her doggy family and shares advice for other aspiring trainers on TikTok.
“My number one training tip is to always take your dog to a positive reinforcement training class,” she said.
Talking about her plans for the future, Lucy added: “I’m happy seeing where the wind takes me. One day, I would love to go on Britain’s Got Talent again but with multiple dogs.”
Maybe we’ll see Lucy and Trip back on our screens soon.
Do you have a dog story to sell? Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
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