It’s all about me-time
What do stars most like to do when they’re not in the spotlight? Hannah Stephenson and Gabrielle Fagan find out what makes a perfect day off
Linda Nolan loves to hang out at bingo
“I have a lie-in on Sundays: I love my bed. I’ll normally have bacon and eggs for breakfast, which is a throwback to my childhood in Blackpool, as my mum used to cook us bacon and eggs on Sundays.
“Then normally, I’ll meet up with some of my family and we’ll go somewhere for lunch. My sisters live close to me in Blackpool, apart from Coleen, who’s in Cheshire. In the summer, my great-nieces and nephews come along and we go to a place where there are trampolines and a little kids’ funfair outside.
“Then in the evening, myself, Maureen, Anne and Denise go to bingo. We love bingo. We still go on a Sunday to the Mecca in Blackpool. We never win. We lose big-time and we stay to the bitter end. It’s our little treat. Our mum played bingo all her life. I remember being a kid and we’d sit beside her eating sweets in an old cinema where bingo was held.
“Coleen doesn’t like bingo. She and Bernie [Linda’s late sister] never liked it. Bernie used to say, ‘I’d rather watch paint dry’. And Coleen said she had the back of her fridge to lick!”
Nell Mcandrew would enjoy family and a soak in the tub
“I’d get up early and have a run, because that’s a brilliant start to the day and is my routine. Then I’d come home to a cooked breakfast with the family – my husband Paul, and the children, Devon, 11, and Anya, 4. After that, we’d go off to the countryside for a picnic and meet up with lots of friends. I’m hopeless at sitting around, and I love to be outdoors and busy.
“The biggest treat at the end of the day would be to have a long, luxurious soak in a bath. I’d light scented candles, put on music, have a glass of champagne and create that spa-like atmosphere, so I could really chill out. That used to be something I always enjoyed when I was single, but I haven’t done that since I’ve had the children. Then I might settle down and read a book – another pleasure that I rarely get time to enjoy.”
Greg Wise loves the great outdoors
“We [Wise is married to actress Emma Thompson] don’t really have [regular days off ], as self-employed people. But if I did, my favourite day would be spent up in Scotland where we have a cottage. It would include a big long sweaty humph up into the hills, probably in the wintertime, on a nice crisp day, getting really exhausted. This would be followed by having a sauna and jumping into the river, possibly breaking the ice, and then drinking the local fine ales in front of a roaring fire with some chums.”
Amanda Barrie plumps for football, TV and friendship
“On a heavenly Sunday, I’d wake up late – probably about 10am. Breakfast has to be a bacon sandwich. If we’re at our home in Somerset, I’d have a swim in our pool, and then throw a ball around for our dog, Coco. If we’re in London, I’d probably go shopping. I’d have to do that on my own as Hilary [Barrie’s wife] hates shopping.
“Hilary’s an excellent cook and we’d have her brilliant roast lamb and gravy. In the afternoon, I’d have a seat in the director’s box with all my family around me and see Manchester City beat Manchester United, 15-0. Then I’d play it again and again on repeat on TV to savour the moment. You are born a Man City supporter – it runs through your veins and it’s bluer than the royal family. Being one of their fans is like being part of a family.
“In the evening, we’d watch three episodes from a favourite series of the moment and then I’d ring up all my best friends for a gossip. We’d go to bed to watch telly and be up there by 9pm. We save up three episodes of a series and watch them in one go.”
Sara Cox would escape to a far-flung beach
“My eldest daughter, Lola, 13, could repeat this perfectly, because whenever she’s mithering and nagging me saying, ‘I want this or that or the other’, I retort ‘Well, I want to be lying on a beach in Mauritius with a good book and a Pina Colada, but I can’t have that, so there you go’.
“If I could transport myself there, that would be my dream. I’m not a mean mum, so the kids could come, but they’d have to play 100 yards away!
“In a real world, I’d enjoy a lie-in. Now the kids are getting bigger, they can go downstairs and find their own nourishment, and my husband looks after the cat and the dogs. I like to disappear and get some exercise – we have a rowing machine, TRX straps and a yoga mat, and I have an app on my phone which tells me what to do. I jump around for about half an hour.
“I love a Sunday roast, but I’ve got over that a bit, because I slave away peeling and roasting, and then I feel I have to make the kids eat it. So instead, we like a snack lunch with bagels, salmon and egg mayonnaise, and there’s no pressure. Or, even better, I’d cadge lunch off my in-laws who live nearby. And in the evening, somehow the kids’ PE kit and homework would magically be sorted without my lifting a finger – now that would be a dream!” n