On shopping with Elton John and bonding with her teenage daughter
Actress Donna Air talks shopping sprees with Sir Elton John, bonding with her daughter and where she stands on Megxit
Donna Air was once one of the most unlikely socialites in Britain. Born and bred in Newcastle, she found fame on kids’ TV show Byker Grove before moving to London and falling in with Kate Moss, Sadie Frost and their iconic Primrose Hill set.
From there, party-loving Donna found love with wealthy conservationist Damian Aspinall and they went on to have a daughter, Freya, now 17. So far, so fairytale.
But following her amicable split from Damian, 60, it was Donna’s five-year relationship with the Duchess of Cambridge’s brother James Middleton, 33, that really cemented her Sloane Ranger status. Although the pair parted ways in 2017 – and Donna remains fiercely private about the romance – it’s easy to see why she caught the eye of the future queen’s brother.
Funny and stylish, Donna, 41, is currently single and tells us she’s in no rush to settle down again. She also reveals how she’s coped during the pandemic and gives us her inside take on Megxit…
You’ve spent the pandemic at home in London with your dog Molly and your daughter Freya. Was it all plain sailing?
There has been a bit of bickering and occasionally Freya will roll her eyes and say, “Mum, are you having more cheese? That’s a lot of dairy for one day,” or, “You’ve had a lot of takeaways this week, Mum – it’s getting a bit gross.” But even though it’s been challenging – and no 17-year-old wants to spend 24 hours a day with their parents – I’ve loved it. My daughter is a very independent young woman so there was some muscle-flexing, but I’ve really appreciated the precious time we’ve had together. I feel lucky to have had her around.
Has it been tricky for Freya alternating between living at your house and her dad’s place?
There was a moment at the start when one friend was panicking that people were going to be looting the streets and we were all going to be locked in our homes and, for a day or two, we thought Freya wouldn’t be able to see the other parent and we’d have to make a decision about who she’d have to stay with. Then the government said it was OK to go between parents, but that was an incredibly stressful time.
How did you ease the tension during the various lockdowns?
I’ve got pretty disciplined at allowing myself me-time, which I’ve spent either cycling on my Peloton or catching up on my favourite magazines through Readly on my ipad, or often both at the same time. I’ve also watched some great dramas – I May Destroy You, It’s A Sin and The Queen’s Gambit – but Freya’s more into the glossy, fun stuff.
Have you managed to stay in shape?
I’ve been quite relaxed about what I eat. For the first time in my life, I’ve finally put on some weight, which is amazing. I’ve gone up two jean sizes during lockdown and it’s never, ever happened in my life no matter how much I’ve tried, so I’m actually quite happy about it. I kind of like my new curves. Although I’m not sure whether the weight gain is a lockdown thing or an age thing. We’ll soon find out.
Have you spent much time reminiscing about your party days 20 years ago?
They were great times. London was a melting pot of lots of creative people from all over the place, who all came to the city for whatever it is we did. Nobody gave a s**t about anything. We were just all very focused on having fun and working hard.
Tell us about the time Sir Elton John sang Happy Birthday to you on the French Riviera…
I was about 20 or 21 and we were staying with Elton in the South of France. Elton and David [Furnish] took us out for dinner and I was also one of those very lucky, privileged
people to go on one of their shopathons. I was spoilt rotten and they were absolutely lovely and then that evening at dinner, Elton got on the piano in the restaurant and did a little Happy Birthday for me.
Do you still hang out with Sadie Frost, Kate Moss and the rest of the Primrose Hill set?
All of our lives have changed a lot. People’s roles and lives have evolved. We’re all still as close, so we’ll pick up the phone, but we’re not out so much as none of us have the time or the headspace and I don’t think any of us would want to wind the clock back. Natalie Appleton and I still have our daily Zooms, but I think the days of hanging out at the Met Bar are behind us.
As someone who has moved in royal circles, what’s your take on the Oprah interview with Meghan and Harry?
I don’t have any objection to somebody wanting to take a new path and do something different. I think we all reserve that right in life to change direction at any time. The interview itself just left me feeling a bit sad about the situation. I’m not sure anybody won in that scenario and, if nobody wins in a situation, then what’s the point of doing it? But it’s their decision to make and if they felt that it helped them in some way, then great. But I don’t think anybody really came out of it particularly well.
Did you meet Meghan when you were going out with James?
I don’t want to get into the details of my relationships. I don’t agree in ripping people apart. It’s not in my nature to do so. But also, it’s not in my nature to air my very private things in public.
It’s nearly 30 years since you were first on Byker Grove with Ant and Dec. Are you still mates?
I don’t see them a lot, but when I do it’s wonderful and I always enjoy their successes. When I look back at us all in Byker Grove,
I think, “Look at us, we were babies.” We thought we were all grown up, but we were just babies with high-pitched voices.
Donna accesses more than 5,000 magazines on Readly digital subscription app. See readly.com or Diet Coke fans can get two months free on promotional packs until 16 May