‘My earliest memories are of hospital’
Good Karma Hospital star Amanda Redman opens up about the storyline that brought back painful memories – and life in her 60s...
Amanda Redman knows all about the emotional and physical scars left behind after a traumatic injury. At 18 months old, the actress, 62, suffered 75 per cent burns after she was scalded at home by a pan of boiling soup.
She subsequently spent four years in hospital and has said, ‘It’s what my earliest memories are of’. Now, she has bravely decided to revisit them after urging The
Good Karma Hospital writers to include an acid attack storyline in the upcoming series. Her character, Dr Lydia Fonseca, treats nurse Jyoti Gill, played by Sayani Gupta, when she’s maimed in a horrific ambush.
Here, mum-of-one Amanda – married to second husband, businessman Damian Schnabel, 47, since 2010, opens up about those tough scenes, being a stepmum and - having previously admitted she is open to plastic surgery but her hubby has threatened to leave her if she went ahead -talks life over 60…
It’s courageous to suggest an acid attack storyline,
given your past accident… I have been keeping up with what’s being going on in India since we started the show and acid attacks are getting worse. In the UK it’s happening more and more, too. I thought it would resonate with people at home, as it’s endemic in India.
What research did you do?
We had a field trip and visited the Burns Unit at the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead, West Sussex, which is where I was treated as a child. The doctors were wonderful, and answered all our questions.
What was it like to film?
It was tough. We filmed a shower scene where Jyoti’s hair is falling out – it was incredibly realistic and I found it quite upsetting. The crew usually just get on with it and don’t show their emotions much, but they did on this occasion. That scene was quite disturbing for all of us.
Your character, Dr Lydia, carries out a C-section this series...
I practised for ages on a watermelon!
Weirdly, all its layers are like a woman’s pregnant stomach. I practised in my hotel. Our prosthetics guy provided us with watermelons, and I’d be there of an evening delivering pips! When I did it on screen the prosthetics were incredible, even down to a condom filled with water that burst on screen to show the waters had broken.
Do you think you could deliver a real baby now!
Well, obviously I couldn’t carry out a Caesarean! But when you’re playing the part of professional people you suddenly get this: ‘I know how to do that!’ Now, when I’m watching medical dramas, I say: ‘That’s ectopic’. My husband sighs and says: ‘ You’re not a real doctor...’
What is it about your character that you enjoy?
I genuinely love her and think she’s a great woman. She’s quite extraordinary, brave, and has a huge heart. She’s obviously an excellent doctor who’s passionate about her work and I admire anyone who is. She’s a good egg, and she’s funny.
In this series, your character is introduced to her partner Greg’s daughter, Tommy. Can you relate to that situation?
I can. Greg’s wife, Emily, is stepmother to his son and Damian [Amanda’s husband] is stepfather to my daughter, so it’s something that we both know. What is great is that they didn’t make Lydia out to be the ‘wicked stepmother’, and that we’re at loggerheads with each other, which is very clichéd.
Do you think Lydia and Greg (Neil Morrissey) will tie the knot?
If he proposed, she’d certainly think about it –and it would be great to pop over to the Maldives for a honeymoon, wouldn’t it? It’s 15 minutes from where we film.
At 62, you have a lead role on telly. Does that make you feel fortunate?
Definitely – but I just feel lucky to still be working. They don’t write much for women of my age, maybe they think we’re not interesting, which we all know couldn’t be further from the truth!
The Good Karma Hospital is on ITV, Saturday, at 8pm.