WHY SHE’S UP FOR CAREER CHANGE TO B
Star of The Syndicate reveals how she’s ready to embark on another job path if acting work dries up in her 50s
‘God, I don’t want to be the one who stops filming’.
“We knew that if we were going to start filming, we couldn’t stop.
“Then just as England was being lifted out of lockdown, we went to Monaco. But France got put into lockdown. It was difficult.
“Then, wherever we went, countries were going into lockdown again. Lockdown was following us around. We came up against every single obstacle.
“We had to hire massive areas for filming. As you can imagine, that’s expensive in Monaco. Like, going into one of the big casinos, they were very strict about the time we could go in.”
The Syndicate is another series from her mum but it’s the first time in 14 years she’s acted in one of her Kay’s shows – the last being The Chase. But she added: “I never stop working alongside my mum, to be honest, because we collaborate a lot.”
As well as acting Gaynor was the original Dancing on Ice champ, winning the first series with Daniel Whiston in 2006.
She’s also raised two children, Oliver and Lily, with partner Mark Pickering.
And she’s proud that she’s had a 30-year career as well as being a mum.
She said: “I’ve been a present mum – I’ve brought them up and picked them up from school and done all those things, alongside having a successful career.
“There’s a lot to be said for that. Some people have to give up one or the other and I’ve managed to do both.”
But like any other mum she’s worried about the affect the pandemic is having on her children.
As well as changing her working life, Covid also touched her family. Son Oliver had it, as has her sister who was “very poorly” with it, her brotherin-law and their children.
She said: “It’s been difficult for my kids. My daughter’s at drama college and is having to do all her classes online.
“She couldn’t sit her GCSEs last year, which she was annoyed about because ask any 15-year-old doing the mocks and they’ll tell you they don’t really put in the effort they would in the real exam.”
While she waits for her next job, Gaynor is dreaming about a role on The Crown which she got around to watching during lockdown.
She said: “I didn’t watch The Crown for a long time, probably because I’m not a massive royalist but I absolutely loved it.
“Everyone keeps telling me that I have a very regal look and I think I have a period face.”
From a soap queen to an actual queen – Faye dos. ● The Syndicate continues on Tuesday, BBC One at 9pm.