Linda Robson reveals the reason she’s banned from hosting Loose Women
FOR 13 years Linda Robson has been a candid voice on the Loose Women panel - but don't expect to see her hosting the show anytime soon.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun, the Birds of a Feather star admitted she has asked bosses to let her anchor the show but was rebuffed for a very good reason.
Linda, 65, explained: "I did ask once if I could be the anchor on Loose Women. They said, ‘Are you joking? You’ll end up swearing or something. No you can’t'."
Despite the setback, Linda has nothing bad to say about the show, saying "it’s like going to work with your mates every day, and we’re all very supportive of each other".
The TV star is a longtime friend of fellow panellist Brenda Edwards and is currently teaming up with her for an episode of Celebrity Antiques Road Trip.
And it sounds like it's one not to miss.
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Linda said: "They loved the chemistry between the two of us. We were driving round in a Bentley. It was lovely. They asked me if I’d like to drive, I said, ‘Are you joking? I’m Britain’s worst driver'.
Over her 50 years in the acting industry, Linda has racked up an impressive list of credits.
Though she's best known for Loose Women and Birds of a Feather, she has also starred in gritty Brit flick Anuvahood, The Bill and Crossroads.
And later this year, she will return to what she does best as part of Bermondsey Tales: Fall of the Roman Empire alongside the likes of Gary Lucy, John Hannah and Maisie Smith.
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Unafraid to take risks, Linda was warned by her own agent that she could be committing career suicide by taking part in Gone To Pot on ITV.
The 2018 series saw her go on a US road trip in a psychedelic bus with Christopher Biggins, Bobby George, Pam St Clement and John Fashanu to explore the use of cannabis, both legal and illegal.
It had a profound effect on the group, which unanimously agreed that the drug should be legalised.
Recalling the reaction to her taking part, Linda said: "My agent thought it was [risky] when I was asked to do Gone To Pot. She said ‘I don’t think you should do it. You’re a daytime face on television, you’ll probably never work again’. But I said, ‘The series I’m doing is for ITV, I do most of my work for ITV anyway, so I don’t see how it can hurt in any way’.
"I asked the kids as well. I said, ‘I’ve been asked to do a programme called Gone To Pot where I travel around America in a psychedelic bus and I’m going to be taking cannabis. What do you think?’ And they said, ‘We think you’re the coolest mum in the world’. I always ask the kids whatever I’m doing because it affects them as well. They were for it, and they loved the series."
It's one of the reasons that Linda has teamed up with medical cannabis brand to try and reduce the stigma around the drug.
On the road trip, Linda was introduced to a young girl whose life had improved hugely by taking medicinal cannabis.
She said: "We met a young girl who was seven or eight, she was having up to 90 seizures a day, after taking the cannabis, they mixed it in with her food, and they reduced by 75 per cent."
And closer to home there are friends and loved ones who are also benefiting from it.
Linda said: "One of my husband’s best friends has got really bad MS and my husband goes round to him every night, does his roll-ups for him, helps out. He lives 10 minutes from us and Mark goes to see him every night just to make sure he’s all right.
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"My sister's had breast cancer and she takes cannabis oil under her tongue every day, and that's definitely helped her. When she was having chemo she was so sick, but after taking the cannabis that definitely helped with her sickness as well.
"If I had anything I would definitely take it, 100 per cent, without even worrying about it, even if I got arrested."
