Who Is Grace Keeling, a.k.a GK Barry, from 'Missing You' on Netflix?

The British TikTok and reality star makes her acting debut in the Harlan Coben thriller series.

GK Barry attends The Pride of Britain Awards 2024 at The Grosvenor House Hotel on October 21, 2024 in London, England.
(Image credit: Karwai Tang/WireImage)

Netflix's latest Harlan Coben thriller series Missing You has a mystery for the digital age: What happens when your ex-fiancé, who ghosted you 11 years ago after your father died, pops up on a dating app? Is the ex an absolute piece of trash, or is there a more sinister story behind the profile? This is the dark puzzle DI Kat Donovan (Rosalind Eleazar) has to solve, as she investigates the reappearance of her ex alongside a major missing-persons case.

The five-episode mystery thriller show boasts a talented cast of U.K.-based actors, from familiar faces Eleazar and Richard Armitage to rising stars Jessica Plummer and Mary Malone. The drama also begins with an appearance from influencer GK Barry, in a bit role. Though U.S. viewers may not have noticed the cameo, U.K.-based fans of Missing You are buzzing over the reality star's surprise turn. Read on to learn more about GK Barry and how she came to appear on Missing You.

GK Barry is a social media star and podcast host.

GK Barry, real name Grace Keeling, is a 25-year-old internet and media personality. She currently boasts 1.3 million Instagram followers and 4 million TikTok followers. She first rose to fame when her TikToks went viral during lockdown in 2020, and since 2022, she has hosted the popular talk podcast Saving Grace, which recently had a Christmas live show at OVO Arena Wembley.

Keeling was born in England and lived in the British Virgin Islands for six years before moving back to Cambridge, according to Capital FM.

She became a reality TV star on 'I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!'

In the world of television, Keeling first made a splash in 2024 when she became a guest panelist on the British daytime talk show Loose Women. She and Love Island alum Olivia Attwood, who joined the series in 2023, are the youngest panelists in the show's history.

However, Keeling's biggest claim to fame is part of the cast of the 2024 season of the British survival show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! She lasted 18 days and came in fifth place on the show, which sees singers, actors, and media personalities undergo Survivor-like challenges in an Australian jungle.

She's interested in acting more after her Netflix debut.

Keeling spoke with Cosmopolitan UK about her acting debut in Missing You, which came about after the show reached out to her manager about her role. Avoiding spoilers, the podcaster described her character as a "foot cam girl."

"We got on a call, and they were explaining who my character was, and it made me laugh so much because it's very on brand," she said, adding that filming took place over one day in September 2024. "They gave me a brief outline of what it was about and read me the line up of people [involved] and I thought, 'I absolutely will do that.'"

The reality star also revealed that she's open to doing more scripted, comedic work in the future.

"I just wanted to do it because I thought it was kind of iconic," she said. "I want to build the CV up so my parents cannot moan about anything! I would do [more acting], like The Office vibes, or something that doesn't involve tense acting. I couldn't do Game of Thrones."

GK Barry is dating athlete Ella Rutherford.

Keeling is currently in a serious relationship with Ella Rutherford, a 24-year-old footballer (or soccer player for us Americans) who plays as a striker for Ipswich Town. Rutherford has occasionally appeared on Saving Grace, and Keeling has publicly opened up about dating a woman and coming out as a lesbian earlier this year.

"I look at men now, and I cannot believe that I wasted so much time," she said in a December 2024 interview with MTV UK. "Obviously, to each their own, whatever, but it's just so different with a woman. You get each other emotionally. I feel like they know where parts of you are that men may not. Everything's just better."

Culture Writer

Quinci is a Culture Writer who covers all aspects of pop culture, including TV, movies, music, books, and theater. She contributes interviews with talent, as well as SEO content, features, and trend stories. She fell in love with storytelling at a young age, and eventually discovered her love for cultural criticism and amplifying awareness for underrepresented storytellers across the arts. She previously served as a weekend editor for Harper’s Bazaar, where she covered breaking news and live events for the brand’s website, and helped run the brand’s social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Her freelance writing has also appeared in outlets including HuffPost, The A.V. Club, Elle, Vulture, Salon, Teen Vogue, and others. Quinci earned her degree in English and Psychology from The University of New Mexico. She was a 2021 Eugene O’Neill Critics Institute fellow, and she is a member of the Television Critics Association. She is currently based in her hometown of Los Angeles. When she isn't writing or checking Twitter way too often, you can find her studying Korean while watching the latest K-drama, recommending her favorite shows and films to family and friends, or giving a concert performance while sitting in L.A. traffic.