Alison Steadman
The actress reveals how much she’s enjoying her new grandson – and how she’s looking forward to spending his first Christmas with him this year
On Christmas Day, Alison Steadman is looking forward to holding the special present she has dreamed about for so many years: her fourmonth-old grandson Freddy.
‘I can’t think of a better gift. At last I’m a grandmother, and I love it, love it, love it!,’ says the 71-year-old star. After 50 years of playing memorable characters – from outrageous Beverly in Abigail’s Party to excitable house-proud Essex mum Pam in Gavin & Stacey
– Alison is enjoying every moment of the real-life role.
‘I cried with happiness when I first held him. I’m besotted. I just say to people, “I’m going to bore you now” as I show them pictures. I don’t care!
‘I was beginning to think my sons were so career-minded and busy that it wasn’t going to happen,’ says Alison, mother to Toby, 39, an illustrator, and Leo, 36, a film-maker from her former marriage to director Mike Leigh.
‘Having a grandchild is something I longed for. But of course you never want to put pressure on your children. Now that it’s happened, it’s an absolute dream.’
Living in London with her long-time partner Michael Elwyn, Alison is a great planner when it comes to the festive season. ‘I shall be out and about looking for small things for my boys. They still have a stocking, even though they are in their 30s! For decorations, I have a collection of cones I arrange in our flat with candles and a real tree.
‘Christmas Eve is always at home for me. I wrap all those presents I should have wrapped earlier and listen to carols on the radio. I’m very traditional like that.’
For 40 years, Alison has made her own cranberry sauce from Delia Smith’s recipe, and she will be taking it with her if she goes to one of her son’s houses for Christmas dinner.
She has already made sure the new arrival has a present from grandma with a carefully chosen message – her first ever children’s book.
Spider! is a story about a young boy called Rafael who discovers the big hairy spider causing terror in his house isn’t as scary as he first thought.
The pair end up best friends.
The idea came to her three years ago when she discovered a friend’s seven-year-old son of the same name was frightened of spiders, until she taught him how fascinating they were.
‘I’m a huge nature lover, always have been. And I was never afraid of insects. So I find it increasingly sad that people are afraid of spiders. Children are too, mainly because they are influenced by their parents. When I started telling this little lad about spiders and how they’ve got eight eyes and how they were born knowing how to spin webs and all these interesting facts, he didn’t say anything. He just stared at me.’
So when the actress learned the positive effect that her talk on spiders had on the small boy, she was delighted.
‘After our talk, he told his mother she must never kill another spider and explained to her how you could tell a male spider because he looks as though he has boxing gloves on. I thought, “Well, that’s a step forward” and decided to write a book for young children to teach them about spiders and not to be afraid of them.’
Alison grew up in 1950s Liverpool, spending much of her time in the garden turning up stones to find creatures.
‘I’d pick blackcurrants for my mother’s pies. She was such a wonderful cook,’ says the star, who has precious childhood memories of Christmas with her two sisters.
‘It was so exciting. My mum
‘My boys still have a stocking, even
though they are in their 30s!’
was a great cook. Always made Christmas cakes, mince pies and wonderful trifles. My dad would polish up coins until they gleamed to put them in our stockings. And we’d always have ginger cordial.
So, to me, that gingery taste was Christmas.’
Is that still the case? She laughs. ‘No! I’ve gone over to wine now. I haven’t got the time or energy to make my own Christmas puddings like I used to. And I buy mini mince pies to help with the waistline!’
Christmas Day for Alison often revolves around playing games like charades, and maybe a bit of TV.
Talking of which, the actress reveals that she has been filming a new television series with John Cleese called Hold the Sunset.
There was a lot of laughter on set as she and Cleese met up again for the first time in more than 30 years.
‘We played husband and wife in the film Clockwise in
1986, so it was brilliant to work with him again. He is so eccentric, but there is only one John Cleese! We had an amazing time.’
Alison has no intention of letting obstacles get in the way of her career and is still keen to take on new challenges.
‘It’s quite a different role for me. It’s not like Pamela in Gavin & Stacey or Beverly, all those confident women I usually play. Edith is rather a quiet lady, who has a lot of warmth and gentle humour,’ says Alison who says she is still called ‘Pamel-ar’ in the street by Gavin & Stacey fans.
Meanwhile, Alison hopes she has the opportunity to write another children’s book, this time with her grandson in mind. But over the festive period she will be taking a break from both writing and acting.
‘I’m so looking forward to
Christmas.
It’s such a special time, and this year will be even more so.’