2023 has been a busy year for Linda Robson – with regards to both her professional and personal life – and as we come into the Christmas period, the Loose Women star admits that she’s not planning on slowing down any time soon.
She tells Closer, “This year, I've done two films: Sumotherhood with Adam Deacon and one called Bermondsey Tales, in which I play a gangster's wife alongside Gary Webster who plays my husband. It’s been great getting back into acting – I’ve been wanting to for a while.
“I've been on a few holidays as well. I took my sister on a cruise because she's has not been very well and went to Majorca with [Linda’s Birds of a Feather co-star] Lesley Joseph - she's one of my best mates. I love a little getaway. I think that's what we're going to do between Christmas and New Year. We're not back to Loose Women until 2 January, which is the first day back and I'm on that day.”
She continues, “I'm also planning to spend some time with my grandchildren and my kids. Plus I’ve written my autobiography, so that's coming out either January or February. I've got to do the audio version now, which I'm not looking forward to. There's also a book launch. I've been very honest in it - there's 55 years of me in there. I was 10 when I started working and I'm 65 now and I'm still working.”
As well as appearing as a regular panellist on Loose Women, Linda Robson – who announced that she’d split from her husband Mark Dunford in September after 33 years together – first appeared on screen in the 1970 film Junket 89, before going on to lead the cast of Birds of a Feather alongside Pauline Quirke and Lesley Joseph from 1989 to 1998.
Nowadays, alongside some smaller TV roles, she’s more likely to found on stage appearing in panto nearly every Christmas and she hopes to continue the tradition next year.
Linda shares, “Next year I want to go on more holidays and do some more acting, as well as the presenting. Next year I’ve got to do panto too because my grandchildren drive me mad and it’s a chance for a break from them because I’m left on my own for most of the time. Next year, if it's commutable I'll definitely do it because otherwise my granddaughters are going to kill me.
“I’ve done loads of pantos over the years, and I really enjoy it despite the fact that you hardly get any rehearsals and they're long days. First time I ever did a panto, I did it with Pauline [Quirke] and we did three shows a day, one at ten, one at two and one at seven - you leave home at eight o'clock in the morning and get home at 11 o'clock at night. They’re so much fun though!”
Linda Robson was speaking to Closer on behalf of altindex.com.