goldbacher grew up in hampstead garden suburb in the london borough of barnet, the daughter of an italian sephardic jewish father, a fruit importer, and a protestant mother, who was a native of the isle of skye in scotland. her mother converted to judaism when goldbacher was a year old. goldbacher's father was a holocaust survivor. goldbacher grew up as a reform jew. she said she encountered some anti-semitism growing up.