ANXIETY IS THE TRUE COST OF FAME

MOTHER’S PRIDE... Judy with talented sons Jamie and Andy

So Judy, why did you decide to make Driving Force?

I’ve been a huge supporter of women’s sport for years so getting the opportunity to create a series that promotes some of our top sportswomen and tells the backstory of what inspired them to achieve their incredible successes was massive.

Why do women in sport have to work harder?

Sport traditionally was always a male domain and it took a long time for women to break into that. As a result we’re much further behind. You find most decision makers in sport are men, so they see the world with men’s eyes. We need more women in decision-making positions to ensure the women’s side of the game is equally catered for.

What does the show uncover?

What we don’t often hear about is what the athletes have battled through to get the gold medal or the Wimbledon title, especially in women’s sport where the profile, visibility and media attention are much less. Did you find any common themes between the women? When you achieve something special, it’s how you handle the success and fame that come with it – the demands on your time and lack of privacy. It’s very easy to go off the rails. It can overwhelm you and makes you anxious. That was a common theme. Have you faced that too?

Andy won his first grand slam in 2012, that’s when it started – I was very anxious. You walk down the street and people are following you, taking photos, and you realise that your life is not your own any more. That can be quite daunting when you’re just an average family from a small Scottish town. How have Andy and the family found lockdown? You have to adapt, don’t you? But we’re all quite resilient and able to deal with adversity because of the sporting world we live in.

You famously competed on Strictly. How would you have dealt with the Covid restrictions this year?

Strictly has brought some sense of normality back to everyone’s Saturday nights, which is fantastic. I’m not sure I would have been any less terrified if there hadn’t been a studio audience but the show was one of the best experiences of my life.

You used to bring shortbread to the team on Strictly. Did the Driving Force team get the same treatment?

The shortbread was my mum’s. We got through all the Driving Force interviews in two weeks because we were afraid of a lockdown coming, so there was no time for baking.