‘On camera I’m all eyes and teeth, but real life is a different story’
Donna Air on why her new TV show The Split was a definite yes after her own experience of emotional manipulation
Actress Donna Air is one of the north-east’s showbiz favourites, along with her good pals Ant and Dec. She got her big break aged 10, working with the boys on children’s television show Then it was bye-bye to regular life and hello to the fun of hosting music shows and appearing in Hollyoaks, Hotel Babylon, Operation Good Guys and taking on reality challenge shows Dancing On Ice and Splash!.
Last week she returned to the box with a bang in hit series The Split, playing TV star Fi Hansen. As viewers have already seen, Donna’s character has started to reveal what’s been going on in her celebrity marriage – and it isn’t pretty. Her husband is controlling, even making her sign a document that dictates she must keep herself in shape!
Donna,
40 – who is renowned for having dated the Duchess of Cambridge’s brother James Middleton – currently lives in Chelsea with her 16-yearold daughter Freya, from her previous relationship with multimillionaire businessman
Damian
Aspinall.
We caught up with the actress to talk relationships, her new role and why her daughter is embarrassed by her…
Hey Donna! You’re playing a TV presenter in
The Split…
Yeah, some could say it was a real creative stretch! I play an ageing TV star who ends up in a relationship with a lying, cheating moron and gets gaslighted.
We’ve started to find out what goes on behind closed doors in this celebrity
marriage...
There’s a whole load of stuff that comes out. In episode one we see her and think, “Oh my God, she’s a bit of a mess.” But I think she’s now hit a point where there’s a lot of stuff that comes to the surface for her after years and years and years of abuse. She feels pretty broken and doesn’t know who to trust, where to go or where to turn.
Have you ever experienced emotional manipulation
like that?
Yes, actually, I have. I think we’ve all been in one relationship at least in our life and it’s not necessarily the most healthy of relationships and those are the ones we have to walk away from.
Could you also draw on your own experiences as a celebrity?
Yes, I could, things like when you go on camera and it’s eyes and teeth and everything is great… but we all know that real life is a different story. I’ve definitely had times in my life when I’ve had to do that.
Would you have left a partner like that?
That’s a very good question. I think it’s a very confusing emotion to be in a relationship with somebody who loves you, you love them and they are very charming and loving. But to answer your question, yes, 100 per cent I would leave a person like that. Because in my experience those personalities don’t necessarily change unless they undergo some serious treatment.
We’re obsessed with the celebrity lifestyle.Was it interesting to challenge that and take a look behind the curtain?
Perfection doesn’t exist anywhere and if anyone tells you otherwise, they are lying! It doesn’t exist in families and it doesn’t exist on Instagram and it certainly doesn’t exist in celebrities, either. It is interesting that at the end of the day it doesn’t matter. Somebody’s loss and pain is their loss and pain, no matter what they do or where they are from. There’s such a big spotlight on mental health right now and I think kindness and empathy are what we should remember in any situation, because you never really know what is going on.
‘We’ve all been in unhealthy relationships – ones we have to walk away from’
How do you feel about NDAs (nondisclosure agreements) in general?
My philosophy in life is if somebody is going to screw you, then they are going to screw you anyway, whether there’s a piece of paper or not. You’ve just got to pick the people in your life wisely. To be honest, I don’t need people to sign NDAs because in my real life there’s not an awful lot that’s exciting going on.
Your character has done
I’m A Celebrity…. Have you ever been tempted to go into the jungle?
I have been asked actually, but I’m not brave enough. I don’t know if I want to suffer too much for art any more. I’ve been there, done it, got the T-shirt. So probably not.