/ Linda Lusardi, 48, joins Emmerdale this week, playing Tom King’s former lover. She shot to fame as a glamour girl in the late 70s and early 80s. Since quitting modelling 18 years ago, she’s toured in theatre and pantomime productions and appeared in The Bill and Channel 4’s The Games. Linda lives in Hertfordshire with her ex-Brookside actor husband Sam Kane, and their children Lucy, 10, and Jack, seven.
I’m away in Leeds filming Emmerdale from Monday to Friday, so my weekend starts on Friday night when I jump into my car – a Lavender-blue Lexus – and head home. Three hours later, I’ll call my husband, Sam, as I’m driving off the M25 and he starts running our Jacuzzi bath. I usually kiss the kids goodnight and then Sam lights candles around the bath, hands me a glass of wine and chats to me while I soak. I’m so spoilt!
On Saturday I turn into a taxi service and drive Lucy to gymnastics before taking Jack out for a bike ride – he’s just got his first bike without stablisers, so we’re very proud. After lunch we’ll all read, paint or watch a movie together. I miss the family terribly when I’m filming Emmerdale in the week, so I make sure the day is totally devoted to them.
Once the kids are asleep on Saturday night, our lovely babysitter comes over so Sam and I go out with our friends, England player Paul Robinson and his partner, Becca. We realised we all love going to see shows so we’ve started out own group called The Theatre Club – we thought it sounded nice and fogeyish! So far we’ve been to see Sinatra, Wicked and Guys and Dolls in the West End. If we don’t see a show, we usually go for a meal at Nolita, a restaurant in Hertfordshire. It’s an amazing place – lots of football players go there. It all looks very classy, with candles and low music, and then at 11.30pm the music cranks up and the whole place boogies until two in the morning! It goes wild; you see people dressed very proper having dinner and think, “This crowd isn’t going to go for it,” and yet they’re paralytic and dancing on tables by the end of the night! It’s great fun.
Sunday is spent recovering. The kids come in bed with us, as well as our mini black sausage dog, Koko, and we all watch a kids’ film – well, Sam and I sleep through it! I love a traditional Sunday roast so I’ll cook a chicken later and shout at anyone who tries to help – I’d rather they clean up afterwards! Then I like to flop on the sofa, full up, and relax.
Mum and Dad and friends pop over on a Sunday evening. As I’m working away all week, it’s my only chance to catch up with people so it’s lovely to end the weekend with those I love.
Rebecca Fletcher, writing in the Daily Express Saturday magazine (17 February 2007)
- List FOUR activities Linda Lusardi enjoys doing on a weekend.
- In paragraph 1, what does the choice of the phrase 'Lavender-blue Lexus' suggest about Linda Lusardi?
- In paragraph 1, what does the choice of the phrase 'lovely babysitter' suggest about Linda Lusardi?
- How has the writer organised the text? Explain how this helps the reader to understand what a typical weekend is like for Linda Lusardi.
- ‘Mum and Dad and friends pop over on a Sunday evening. As I’m working away all week, it’s my only chance to catch up with people so it’s lovely to end the weekend with those I love.’
Explain why the author chose to end the article in this way. - How does the article try to persuade you that Linda Lusardi is successful but normal?
You should comment on the effects of:
- her relationship with her children;
- what she likes to do on a night out;
- the ‘treats’ she allows herself.