‘I feel like I’ve won the lotter y’
The Syndicate’s Gaynor Faye on how her fabulous career, children and Buddhism have given her a ticket to happiness
Deciding to leave the steady job of playing a regular in a soap can be hit and miss for some actors. But luckily for former Emmerdale star Gaynor Faye, it’s a risk that has definitely paid off.
Gaynor bowed out of the Dales in the summer of 2019, waving goodbye to her character Megan Macey. Since then, she’s performed in Band Of Gold,
a stage adaptation of the TV series, and next week will be popping up as newsagent owner Cheryl in BBC One’s The Syndicate. It’s a series about a group of people who win big on the lottery, written by her mum, Kay Mellor.
“I feel like I’ve won the lottery,” the 49-year-old tells us as we catch up over Zoom. “I’m very happy. I’ve got two great kids and a nice life.”
Here, the former Dancing On Ice
champ, who has children Oliver, who turns 20 tomorrow, and Lily, 17, with her partner Mark Pickering, tells us about her soap career in Emmerdale and Coronation Street, and why she credits Buddhism with being a lifesaver.
Hi, Gaynor. Was it a difficult decision to leave
Emmerdale?
It was a really tough decision. To be able to do a job that you love in your hometown is very rare.
But I couldn’t have stayed and done Band
Of Gold, so I didn’t have a choice. I really hoped I could have done that and stayed at Emmerdale but it wasn’t possible. And they left the door open for me.
Would you rule out going back?
Absolutely not – it’s a great job. I wouldn’t have ruled out going back to Coronation Street but I died! I’m a big believer of if it’s meant to be, it will happen.
Well, it’s worked out and now you’re in
The Syndicate…
Yes, going from Megan Macey, who was very manicured and glammed up, to Cheryl, who is a regular woman and definitely not manicured.
We saw you celebrated your birthday on set. How was that?
It was lovely. I got lottery balls with numbers on as cakes and I was going to put the lottery on, but I never have. I might have won, who knows?! I feel like I’ve won the lottery anyway. I’m very happy, I’ve got two great kids and a nice life. For me, nothing would change. The only thing is that I’d buy a Buddhist centre.
Is Buddhism a big part of your life?
It’s huge. I started chanting in 1994. It’s just part of my life now, it’s like brushing my teeth. In the morning, I do it to set up my life and so I can live in a higher life state. Then, on a night, I chant with gratitude for the incredible day I’ve had. It’s been a lifesaver in this situation.
When you left you said you wanted to spend more time with your children and shortly after that we went into lockdown.
How’s that been?
Emmerdale [Laughs] Be careful what you wish for! It’s hard and, obviously, mine are teenagers. We’ve all gravitated towards our own rooms now. That initial thing of, “Let’s play board games and have a movie night!” has gone. But we’re lucky we all do different things. Lily plays the piano and dances, Ollie plays football and writes and I do meditation and yoga, and I’ve also gone back to school to do some online courses.
Ooh, what are you studying?
Spanish for beginners, cymatics/sound therapy, creative wellbeing and a counselling course.
How long had you wanted to do that?
I went to an opening of a new
Childline centre and listening to the stories really hit me. I’m very passionate about wanting to help people, especially with mental health and teenagers. I’ve got two of my own and I know what the world’s like out there for them. It’s fascinating and being on the course is like a free counselling session.
Have you had counselling?
I had it when I had postnatal depression. It was massively helpful. It got me through. It got me out of it. And I do suffer with depression sometimes, but I use my Buddhism to keep me up. That’s why I became a Buddhist really. So if I can give something back and help, then it might be something. And it’s something
I can do as well as being an actor.
What else do you hope the future holds?
I’ve got the travel bug. I want to go to Japan because that’s where my Buddhism is from and I’d love to go to Vietnam and Australia.
If they did another
‘I’ve got the travel
bug. I want to go to Japan’
Dancing On Ice
all-stars series, would you be up for showing off your skills?
There are zero skills any more. The last time I went on the ice, I was all over the place. It was embarrassing. I actually heard someone say, “That’s not her who won Dancing On Ice, is it?” But I would never say never. If I could be paired with Dan [Whiston, her professional skating partner when she won in 2006], I would do it in a shot.