Woman’s Weekly UK – 06 August 2019

Likemanywomenwith
busycareers,Samantha
cameto motherhooda little
later,becominga first-time
mumat 37andthenhaving
Oliviaa fewyearslaterat 40.
‘I alwayswantedto have
children,andI wouldhave
hadmoreif I’dstarted
younger,butyouhave
to waitto meettheright
person,’sheexplains.‘Some
peopledon’t
wantchildren,
andthat’sa
completely
validlife
choice.We’re
overpopulated
as itis,and
youhaveto makea lotof
sacrificeswhenyou have
children.SometimesI think
to myself,“Mycareermight
havegonea differentway
if I hadn’thadkids,”butthis
is thepathI’vechosen.’
ButSamanthadoesworry
abouthergirlsgrowingup
whenshereceivesstorylines
involvingBernice’srebel
teenagedaughterGabby

• whoonceevenspiked
  LisaDingle’sdrink.
  Sheconfesses,‘WhenI
  seethesestorylinescoming
  up,I justhopeI’mnotin
  trainingforwhenmygirls
  areteenagers.Theystart
  teenage-hoodsoearlynow.
  ‘Myeldestonehas
  alreadygota bitof attitude,
  a bitanswering-backy,and
  she’sonly10.Theygrow
  upsofastnowadays.’

Butwhileit mayworry

her,Samanthaadmitsthat

shewouldlikeBernice

to receivesomeless

lightheartedstorylines.

Shesays,‘I hope

there’llbea fewmore

seriousthingsbecause

it canworkreallywell

withcomedycharacters

doingthosestorylines.

It’smorepoignantwhen

someonewho’salwaysseen

asfunnyhassomethingmore

difficultto do.’

However,asmuchasshe

lovesherjobonEmmerdale,

Samantha– whoreturned

to workonthesoapwhen

Oliviawasjustsixweeksold

• wouldthinktwicebefore
  encouragingherdaughtersto
  followin heractingfootsteps.
  ‘Thisis a verytoughand
  superficialbusiness– it’s
  cut-throatandhard,notall
  fameandglamour,’shesays.
  ‘Youhaveto askyourself,
  “Isthisthe
  onlything
  thatwill
  makeme
  happy?”
  That’show
  I feltaboutit.
  ‘I watched
  myfriendsbuyinghouses
  andgoingonholiday,and
  I wasstillrentinga rubbish
  little flat and shoppingin
  Oxfam.Butwhenyou’re
  young,youhaveanabsurd
  confidenceand feelingof
  invincibility,soI carriedon.’
  She finishes,‘It can be
  hard,butI knowhowlucky
  I amto beworking.Somany
  actorsareoutof work,and
  a soapis verygoodforwhen
  youhavea family.
  ‘If I wasn’tdoingthis,I’d
  haveto bequitechoosy
  aboutwhatI did– I couldn’t
  doa bigtheatretourortake
  a jobwhereI hadto beaway
  forsixmonths.I’vechosento
  havechildren,soI wantto
  actuallybewiththem.’

‘Thisbusiness

iscut-throat,

it’snotallfame

andglamour’

Samantha with

husband Sean

CELEBRITY

✿ Emmerdale is on ITV,

Monday-Friday, times vary WORDS: HAYLEY MINN. PHOTOS: BACKGRID, ITV, REX

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