Cush Jumbo was enjoying the ultimate full-circle moment ahead of the BRIT Awards 2026 as she returned to the ceremony she used to attend as a young BRIT School student.
The 40-year-old The Good Wife actress travelled to the Manchester-based awards show in style and joined other celebrities aboard the British Pullman, a Belmont train.
Between a Champagne-fuelled lunch of salmon and panna cotta, she revealed details about her time at the prestigious school that also produced Adele and big winner of the evening, Olivia Dean.
The Stay Close star was sitting in a carriage with fellow actors Saltburn‘s Archie Madekwe and Shadow and Bone star Patrick Gibson and stopped to chat to HELLO! while the others engaged in a lively game of Uno.
She explained why she was so excited to be a guest of Warner Music and revealed she used to watch the stars from the pit at the awards when she was a teenager. Each year, students of the performing arts school are brought to watch the show from the front row in a section near the celebrities’ dinner tables.
Cush reflected on her past and smiled as she revealed why the BRITs held so many fond memories for the single mum-of-one. She admitted she had her first kiss in the pit with a fellow student who didn’t go on to become famous.
Sharing what she loves most about the award show that celebrates British music, she told us: “I was in the pits three times as a teenager because I’m a BRIT school girl. It’s always a joy to go there and see our little kids in the pits again, but also, so many of the nominees and winners are students from our school and we’re a really tight, close community.”
I’m very proud of them. It’s always surreal when you’re like, ‘Oh, I was 14 and I was in that pit, and now I’m sat on this table’
“It’s an amazing celebration of British music but it’s also a reminder, every single time I go, of how much I love that school so much! It’s just an important part of our BRITs culture.”
She added how proud she was of the evening’s winner Olivia Dean, who was nominated for four awards, as well as Raye. She revealed: “They’re very firm advocates for what BRIT is all about – which is having an amazing work ethic, loving what you do, writing your music, working really hard.
“I’m very proud of them. It’s always surreal when you’re like, ‘Oh, I was 14 and I was in that pit, and now I’m sat on this table’.”
An exciting ride
Standing in an alcove of the historic train, Cush expressed her excitement at being on board and said: “I literally feel like we’re on the Polar Express or Harry Potter’s train to school. It’s just from another planet!
“You think someone’s going to leap down singing with hot chocolate or doing backflips and stuff. Everyone feels more glamorous on a train.”
© Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty ImaSpeaking of glamour, the actress also shared with us what was next for her in her career and revealed she was working on a secret project that she wasn’t allowed to tell us about just yet.
I was in the pits three times as a teenager because I’m a BRIT school girl
“We are about to launch the second season of Criminal Record on Apple,” she said. “I just finished recording all seven Harry Potter books for Audible, with binaural sound, which was amazing, and I’m about to start a series for BBC. I can’t say what it is but I’m having a very, very good year – this is a lovely treat!”
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