Becky Bloomwood

Rebecca Jane 'Becky' Brandon (née Bloomwood) is a fictional character and the main protagonist from the Shopaholic series of novels by British author, Sophie Kinsella.

Personal life

Becky grew up in Oxshott, Surrey with her Mum and Dad. After attending Bristol University, she moved to London. She first lived with her best friend Susan "Suze" Cleath-Stuart before she eventually moved to New York City. Prior to moving to New York, she worked as a personal finance expert on a breakfast television program called 'Morning Coffee'.

Becky met her future husband, Luke Brandon, CEO of Brandon Communications (a Public Relations firm) during a press conference while she was working as a financial journalist for 'Successful Saving' magazine. She helped him pick out luggage for his girlfriend, Sacha. Becky did not know that Luke had a girlfriend and thought that Luke liked her. She had an angry, tearful confrontation with him where she said that she "wasn't a joke." She attracted his attention after she published an article about one of his clients. They appear on television together and they began dating at the end of the first book. Luke and Becky marry in America in the Plaza Hotel on June 22, 2002 and also in England at Becky's parents' house on June 23, 2002. Becky and Luke have a daughter named Minnie Brandon who was born on December 3, 2003.

In literature

The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic

Becky first makes her appearance in the book, The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic (Confessions of a Shopaholic in the US). In the first book, Becky is a financial journalist. Though she has a load of debts on her bank overdraft and credit card, nothing stops her from buying new clothes, shoes and other things which others may think as unnecessary. As a result, her flat mate and best friend, Susan Cleath-Stuart (commonly referred to as Suze) has to keep an eye on her spending. On the other hand, Suze knows that Becky does not have enough money to pay her share of the council tax and even tears up a cheque written by Becky.

At the end of the first book, Becky is offered a regular spot on a hit morning TV show as a financial advice guru after writing a successful article for a British tabloid, "The Daily World" about one of Luke's previous clients defrauding their customers. She also begins dating PR mogul Luke Brandon of Brandon Communications.

The setup of the template is explained in this story...how Becky Bloomwood, a clever and creative girl with an addiction to shopping, gets herself in over her head, but when she makes her comeback, she's often able to help family and friends in the process. When push comes to shove, her loved ones are her treasures, which is why Becky Bloomwood is so beloved.

Shopaholic Abroad

In Shopaholic Abroad (also known as Shopaholic Takes Manhattan in the US) Becky goes to New York City with her then-boyfriend Luke, leaving Alicia in charge of Brandon Communications in London, to Becky's dismay. She shows up in Manhattan to loads of wonderful TV offers...but before she left for the States, she'd visited Brandon Communications and had a sneaking suspicion she left something behind. Overwhelmed by Barney's, Fifth Avenue, and the discovery of sample sales, she goes overboard, even for her. Meanwhile, Luke is dismayed to find out that some of his investors are a little shaky and he's spending all of his time reassuring them. But when they find out that Alicia has not only tried to take over the company, but stolen Becky's bills and sent them to the Daily World, outing her as a Shopaholic to the fans of Morning Coffee, to whom she gives financial advice. She loses her gig on the TV show and all American TV prospects, and Luke's investors back away entirely. After a huge row in Manhattan, during which Becky refers to his beloved birth mother Elinor as a "cow of a mother", it seems they've lost each other. However, Becky has one trick up her sleeve...and manages not only to save her reputation, but also Luke's when she exposes Alicia and Ben's plans to Michael Ellis(that leads to not only Alicia and her co-conspirators being fired, but they and Ben face embezzlement charges). She also secured a job in New York as a personal shopper at Barneys...even as Luke begs her to take a job with Brandon Communications London.

Shopaholic Ties the Knot

In Shopaholic Ties The Knot Becky agrees to let her neighbor Danny Kovitz, a fashion designer who currently lives with (read: sponges off) his brother and who has blown every opportunity that's come his way so far, design her bridesmaid dress for Suze's wedding to Tarquin. Worrying that Luke will take this as pressure to marry, she blithely tells him that she's not prepared to get married for ten years. Danny, after stalling and asking such questions as, "Do you need the dress TODAY today?" whips together a gorgeous dress and secures a promise from Becky that should she marry, he'll design the dress. Luke isn't fooled for a moment by her "ten-years" plan and puts an engagement ring inside the bouquet that she catches at Suze's wedding; she is only too happy to accept. Meanwhile, Luke is still determined to win the love of his birth mother, Elinor, and is over the moon about her offer to throw them a wedding at the plaza...despite the fact that Becky's mother had thrown herself and all her friends into wedding preparations immediately after their engagement. Becky spends a good portion of the book trying to tell one or the other that her wedding will be in NYC at the Plaza or in Oxshott at her parent's home, much to Suze's dismay, Becky can't quite seem to make up her mind: do it at the Plaza and please Luke, and also have the wedding of her dreams, or do it in Oxshott with the family she adores. At the same time, Luke is spending too much time with Elinor's charity—he's assigned a member of his staff to work with Elinor full-time on her charity, insisting it will be good PR for Brandon Communications, despite his partner Michael's severe reservations. Becky insists he's being taken advantage of, and that Luke is so desperate to impress Elinor, he won't let himself see it. When Becky finds press of Elinor, claiming total credit for all the work her charity has done, she reluctantly shares the information with Luke. She later confronts his mother for her behavior in the way she mistreated Luke all of his life and will not stand by anymore to let him take it. Elinor is offended and calls Becky out for insulting her, believing her to be unworthy of her son's love. She warns Becky if she turns down the wedding at the Plaza, she will have to pay the fine. Becky refuses to back down and bargains with Elinor in exchange that she writes an apology letter to Luke and confess to her wrongdoing.

Suze, in the meantime, is insisting Becky pick a location for her wedding...and gets so upset with Becky's indecision—she tells Michael and Suze lamely that "it'll work itself out"—and Suze is so fed up and anxious she goes into premature labor. Throwing her entire life to the wind, Becky stays with Suze for the first two weeks of her godson Ernie's life plans her dream wedding to Luke Brandon- one in Oxshott, planned by her own parents, and the other in Manhattan, planned by Luke's cold mother, Elinor. After Luke and his mother have a final confrontation, it seems like Becky's miracle has happened.

Meanwhile, Becky must assist Laurel, a longtime client of hers who suspects her ex-husband, Bill, has been stealing her family's antique jewelry collection(including an Emerald pendant her grandmother gave her) and been giving it to his much younger girlfriend, Amy Forrester. She goes undercover and confirms this to Laurel. Becky is able to help her get her jewelry back and force both Bill and Amy to apologize for their wrongdoing. Grateful, she offers Becky anything she wants and she comes up with an idea. Coming up with an exquisite plan that only Becky Bloomwood could come up with, she saves the day for everyone. She and Luke pretend to get married at the Plaza hotel and then flies off in Laurel's private jet to Oxshott to really get married at home. In the process, she sets up Michael with a woman he can truly love, and sets off Danny Kovitz's astronomical career as well. Becky also surprises Luke with a 10-month honeymoon trip around the world after cashing in her New York wedding gifts.

Shopaholic & Sister

In Shopaholic & Sister newly-wed Becky enjoys her a 10-month-long honeymoon around the world and visits Milan where Luke is to meet a new client. After promising that she will not buy anything, she explores the city while keeping her secret plans to buy him a gift. Becky buys him a new leather belt wanting to replace the one she ruined with the wax. Her resolve wanes when she encounters the chance of a lifetime to possess an Angel handbag and discovers that there is a wait list. However Nathan Temple helps jump Becky to the top of the waiting list because he and the owner are friends. Upon coming home, she discovers to her disappointment that no one was happy to see her and Luke back, but also her parents appear to be hiding something. While she was away, Suze had found herself a new best friend in Lulu whom doesn't really like Becky and the feelings appear quite mutual. After a confrontation with Lulu, Becky feels more isolated from her best friend since the two women have more in common. Luke comforts her and admits that no one was expecting them back for another month. Becky's problems become worse when two truckloads of her souvenirs shows up to their loft and the bills are outrageously expensive. With her new job not expected to start for a few months, Luke orders her to sort everything out in her spare time. Taking the advice of her kindly neighbors, Becky uses eBay and sells off most of the items to make most of the money back to pay Luke back. She accidentally sells off the 20 Tiffany clocks(which was meant as a gift for the Arcodas Group) which Luke finds out and is angry with her for a while. The Bloomwoods come for a visit and are ready to tell Becky the news. They wanted to wait until she settles back home to reveal the truth. Becky learns that she has an older half-sister through her father and another mother whom eventually married another man. Although excited at the prospects with having a sister, Becky is quite disappointed when she meets Jess. It turns out she is thrifty, environmentally friendly and a bit standoffish, which turns out to be the opposite of what a sister should be. After a heated confrontation with her sister, Becky faces marital problems with Luke whom is displeased with the way she's behaving.

After a nightmare she has, Becky heads to Scully to reconcile with Jess and learn how to be thrifty. Jess initially refuses to help out after her behavior in London. While in Scully, Becky befriends Jim's teenaged daughter, Kelly, and she becomes a supporting friend similar to Suze. Learning more from Jim about her sister's past under Bill's harsh upbringing, Becky finally realizes that Jess had been originally right about her being a spoiled brat all her life. At an environmental meeting, she befriends Robin and other protesters and they like her ideas for more media attention. While talking to Jess there, Becky discovers that she recently had a test done for her blood clot. Jess admitted that after learning more about her mother's flirtatious past from her aunt, she was really seeking a DNA test between her and Graham before finding more potential fathers. Becky comes to the conclusion that since there was no DNA test done along with everyone else assuming, she and Jess may not related. Before leaving, Becky apologizes to Jess for her earlier behavior and admits she was right. Her behavior compounded more problems than solutions and her marriage to Luke finally fell apart. Jess forgives Becky and wishes her the best of luck in saving her marriage. Robin, Jim and the other protesters beg Becky to stay and help them, but she refuses and tells them she must return home and save her marriage to Luke. Before leaving, Jim shows Becky, Jess's rock collection and tells her the story about everything. This made her resentment not only disappear, but also made Becky feel guilty for the way she hurt Jess.

Becky follows Jess to the annual hiking to apologize again, finally realizing that Jess is exactly like her and share the same level of passion in spite of their different hobbies. Unfortunately, she is not only wearing the incorrect footwear for such a long hike, but also inappropriately dressed as well. Becky doesn't follow the trail and gets injured. Luckily for her, Jess has the mental and moral fortitude to help her. Becky reconciles with Jess when she admits to everything, including how she had seen the beauty of her rock collection and the passion she holds for them. Jess tries to deny it, but Becky admits that she hides the passion better than Becky herself does when it comes to clothes and other unnecessary items. It was also there she finally tells her that she was only half to blame for the marriage falling apart and also reveals Luke's part in this because he was so busy trying to win over his new clients that he ignored her needs. Jess then asks about Suze, which Becky admits she had found a new friend and her other friend, Danny being to busy that she hasn't got any friends. She discredits that claim and admits that Becky has her as a friend and sister. Jess finally agrees to help Becky learn how to be thrifty and loves the silver Tiffany bean necklace she gave her. At the hospital, she manages to reconcile with Luke, who reveals that he was quite angry with her for having set up a meeting with Nathan Temple behind his back and admits she was originally right about Temple. He promises to work out their marriage together. Becky also reconciles with Suze, whom admits while she still likes having Lulu around, she also misses the fun in being best friends with her. At the end, Becky enjoys being thrifty and learns of her pregnancy.

Shopaholic & Baby

In Shopaholic & Baby Becky is going through the joys of expecting her first child, complete with shopping for baby and a new home. However, there is only one problem, she is going to Dr. Braine, a family obstetrician who has seen previous Brandon women's pregnancies and which Becky doesn't like going to. During a shopping trip to Bambinos, she overhears a conversation with other women about Venetia Carter, a celebrity obstetrician whom she wants to got to. After convincing Luke to see her, Becky discovers why he is uncomfortable with changing obstetricians. Venetia is his ex-girlfriend from his university days, but Becky doesn't think much of it when she reassures them that she's seeing someone else. She suspects that Luke is having an affair Venetia, particularly after Venetia herself tells Becky as much. After she persuades Becky that she and Luke are seeing each other and their relationship was like Penelope and Odysseus. She asks Luke if he's having an affair with Venetia. He denies this and admits the truth to Becky about his ex-girlfriend. Realizing the truth and feeling bad for wanting to change obstetricians, she apologizes to Luke for her behavior. They agree it's in the best interest of their baby to return to Dr. Braine. During that time, Becky still has issues with Suze's best friend, Lulu, and discovers a couple of photos that reveals her for the hypocrite she is from a PI she hired in secret to keep an eye on Luke and Venetia. During her baby shower, Becky shows Suze the photos of Lulu's own problems with her children and she sees her for who she is. However, Suze refuses Becky's request to publish an article exposing Lulu on the British tabloid "The Daily World" and prefers to keep the photos safe so she can look at them in secret.

Becky learns about Arcodas Group's CEO, Iain Walker, whom is making horrible rumors about Brandon C's reputation and threatening to leave. She later receives photos from the same PI of him being in the company with other women, including her current obstetrician. Becky realizes Venetia is helping Iain ruin Brandon C's reputation in order to get Luke to leave his wife. She shows this to Luke, but refuses to answer him about where she got the photos from(possibly feeling bad for suspecting Luke of having an affair with Venetia).

Near the end, Luke rebukes Venetia for what she did to Becky and tells everyone else about her feigning a pregnancy back in college as her attempt to keep them in a relationship together. Though he was relieved that she wasn't pregnant, Luke was still infuriated with Venetia's behavior and ended their relationship. In a last ditch effort, she tries to convince Luke to leave Becky, calling her a "dim-witted little airhead" who doesn't deserve him. Furious with the insult, he refuses and tells Venetia off that he loves his wife and there's nothing she can do to change that. Luke states that Becky may shop at times, but he sees her as a caring and intuitive person, whereas he sees Venetia as a lying and manipulative person. In that moment, Becky informs Luke they lost out on the house they were planning to buy and are effectively homeless. Suze offers them her family's summer home in Scotland, but the Bloomwoods insist they stay in their home in Surrey. In the midst of the arguing and being homeless, Becky's water breaks and she goes into labor. Luke teams up with his mother-in-law, Jane, and they order Venetia out of their lives. Suze reveals her plans to everyone of her intent to tell "The Daily World" about Venetia in the hopes of helping her other friends avoid getting her. During that time, a family member calls Dr. Braine in to assist Paula with Becky's labor. Through her professional and personal woes, Becky happily ends the book a new mum to daughter Minnie. Luke and Becky temporarily move in with her parents after losing out on the home they hoped to buy, while Luke works to save his company.

Mini Shopaholic

In Mini Shopaholic, Minnie is now 2 years old. There is a major financial crisis, and after Minnie's christening is a bust, Becky decides to throw a surprise party for Luke's birthday. However, many doubt she can keep the party a secret. Meanwhile, Jess and Tom got married in secret in Chile and Janice is trying to get them to have children. Minnie is going off the rails, and their fifth proposed house purchase has fallen through...and, as it turns out, Jane (far from being about to die from empty nest syndrome) is actually anxious for them to leave, so she can have her house back from all of Becky's stuff. Luke and Becky, during this financial crisis, agree that Luke won't buy his new car (as he'd planned to, to celebrate finally celebrating the settlement of the Arcados group) and, seeing his willingness to sacrifice, Becky agrees to wear every single item in her wardrobe three times before shopping again (a process which, even with layering and changing a couple of times a day, will take her to November). Meanwhile, Becky is also trying to persuade Luke to have another baby, but he refuses because of Minnie's increasingly bad behavior. Any old reason is good enough for Becky to want another child; she sees some pom-pom hats and wants them to be known as the children in the pom-pom hats, much as she herself wanted to be known as The Girl in the Denny and George Scarf, or The Girl With the Angel Bag. Becky and her parents, whom both are finally fed up with dealing with the fallout of one of Becky's crisises after another (but also constantly inviting herself where she's not wanted) have their first serious row, and go for weeks without speaking...even as Jess has to battle Janice about her constant machinations to produce a grandchild, such as giving Tom libido-increasing tea and hiding their condoms. Having enough of her behavior, Becky defends Jess and Tom's decision to adopt their first child by telling Janice off to leave them alone. However, she's offended with Becky for calling her out, but she refuses to back down and stands firm with Janice.

Becky still has issues with Elinor whom wants to see Minnie, but as she recognizes some similarities with Minnie and Elinor (which Luke staunchly denies, furious with Elinor about a slight she made about Annabel after Annabel's death). She eventually reconciles with Elinor after she insists on helping out with the party, which by now is a shambles. Elinor also finally accepts responsibility for her actions in selfishly abandoning Luke, and in a moment of extreme vulnerability, refers to Annabel as "his real mother". Becky asks Elinor for help in assessing Minnie's bad behavior and she agrees.

Still worried about Minnie's wild behavior, Luke (without consulting Becky) hires Nanny Sue, a nanny with her own TV show, who goes into people's homes and they wind up "sobbing on her shoulder and asking, 'Nanny Sue, how can we be better people?'" When Becky finds out, she is infuriated with him because she had been talking to Elinor about similar problems with Minnie. This angers Luke for he didn't want his mother to have anything to do with them after what she did in insulting both Becky and Annabel. However, Nanny Sue's assessment comes as a bit of a surprise, as does the real reason he doesn't want a second child. She admits that she went undercover and had observed Becky's own behavior at a mall, even before Luke called on her show to hire her. Nanny Sue was further convinced that because of her earlier behavior in spoiling Minnie, Becky played a main role in her daughter's bad behavior. This was evident when she caught them fighting over an expensive toy Minnie wanted, which Becky originally had refused to buy and later caved in. Nanny Sue is the first person to ask Becky if she's considered the possibility she might have a shopping addiction and Minnie's piped up comments do nothing to dissuade anyone of that notion. She finally admits that she does have an addiction to shopping and had a hard time learning when to stop. She also realizes her own inability to take responsibility for her actions that lead to her daughter's bad behavior and the real reason why they've had been banned from previous Christmas Grottos. Ironically, Becky realizes the woman she had been talking to at the mall was Nanny Sue with children of her own and how it was similar to what Elinor had told her and all Minnie really needs is discipline. After she agrees to go to "Shopaholics Boot Camp" and seek help, Becky and Luke can move forward with the idea of expanding their family...if only they can survive the "surprise" party, which over two million people in London have found out about, which Becky did try to keep a secret. Now reformed, Becky apologizes to Graham and Jane for her earlier behavior and realized they were originally right in their assessment. In turn they reconcile with each other. At the end of the book, Becky has become aware that Luke is doing business for Sage Seymour (a Julia Roberts-type movie star) and that he wants to take the whole family to Hollywood for three months.

Shopaholic To The Stars

Becky is in LA still hoping to get a job as a personal dresser for Sage, but Luke is adamant in not introducing the two. He wants her to focus on getting Minnie into preschool, which she presumably succeeds. Becky eventually gets a job as personal dresser to Sage Seymour's rival, upon reading of her credentials as a personal shopper from Barneys New York. Although it seems like a dream come true, she soon discovers the job is not what she thought of originally. Especially when the rival starts making crude comments about both Luke and Sage in her own attempt to ruin them. She encourages Becky to get plastic surgery to change her appearance. She starts to act selfish like her client and tries to keep the job to herself, neglecting her family in the process. Luke eventually finds out and tells Becky what he thinks. She must decide where her loyalties stand with: her client or her family.

Still pondering this, she gets an unusual help from her nemesis, Alicia, whom is feeling guilty for her actions against Luke and Becky. She admits that she is trying to reform after seeing her daughter, Ora, befriend Minnie at preschool. Alicia reveals she secretly helped them get Minnie into one of Hollywood's prestige preschools. She suggests that Becky reconsiders getting plastic surgery while she still can, especially when she shows the scars her previous plastic surgeries that went wrong. Becky keeps her encounter with Alicia a secret from Suze whom is still on edge with her.

Becky also discovers Tarquin has joined a wellness center like her, but Suze is convinced they are frauds in brainwashing him into joining a cult. Investigating this and finally convinced that her family and friends come first, Becky confirms Suze's suspicion the whole time. She warns Tarquin to leave the center and his new friends knowing they have care of their own interest over his. Tarquin doesn't believe Becky, but later regrets it. Whether he takes her warning seriously or not is left unclear.

Becky decides not to go through with plastic surgery and gives her client and ultimatum: accept her as herself or she'll quit. The story ends with a cliffhanger, but Becky promises to return soon.

Film adaptation

Becky Bloomwood is portrayed by Isla Fisher in the 2009 film Confessions of a Shopaholic. In the film, Becky is an American who resides in New York City and works in the magazine industry.