Lianna rolls her eyes
When Mum wore a very tight outfit I found myself saying, “You’re not going out like that, are you?”
Divorcee Lesley Ann Thompson, 55, a company director, lives in Manchester with her two children, including daughter dancer Lianna, 24
Lesley Ann says: I’d been with my husband for 24 years and had two children, Lianna and Sam, now 15, when our marriage broke down three years ago. I’d spent so long being a wife and a mother, only going out to celebrate family events and putting everyone ahead of myself. Then I was suddenly single, so it seemed the ideal time to reclaim my life.
I made a load of new friends and we’d go clubbing and drink prosecco and dance up a storm. My new-found freedom felt fantastic.
I’m lucky that I still have a nice figure and can get away with short skirts and fitted dresses so we often get chatted up and, although I go on the odd date, I now see men as a nice distraction. I’m far more interested in how I look so I’ve had facials, lip fillers and Botox. Sam won’t bring home his friends or let me watch him play cricket any more, as they all fancy me.
And Lianna is forever rolling her eyes at me, asking, “Do you know what time you got in last night?” I just reply cheerfully: “No idea!” Lianna says: Mum is single and ready to mingle. She loves going out with her friends, something I’d prefer her to be doing than sitting at home alone. But it does get exasperating when she bangs on the door in the early hours of a Sunday morning, claiming she’s lost her keys – which are always in her bag. My life couldn’t be more different to Mum’s. I’m a professional dancer and actress so my life is quite structured. I eat a good diet to keep my body healthy, I go to the gym regularly and go to bed early. Going on crazy nights out doesn’t suit my lifestyle and, to be honest, I don’t like drinking that much. Mum always says my outfits are dull but I like to dress down when I’m not performing. I have no idea how Mum has the energy to put so much effort in her appearance. When I saw her going out in a particularly tight outfit a couple of weeks ago, I even found myself saying, “You’re not going out dressed like that, are you?”