Loose Women star drops HUGE hint about role in EastEnders as she admits ‘I’ll never retire
LOOSE Women star Linda Robson has revealed that she's eyeing up a role on BBC's EastEnders.
The actress, 66, previously starred in EastEnders spin-off Civvy Street in 1988.
Linda played Lou Beale's sister Flo in a 60 minute episode, which was a flashback to World War II and set at Christmas 1942.
The Loose Women panelist is now keen to return to Walford a special cameo.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, Linda said: “I would do more soap work. I wouldn’t mind a guest appearance.
"I did EastEnders years and years ago – it was called Civvy Street, it was all set during the war.
READ MORE ON LOOSE WOMEN
"I was Lou Beale’s sister, Flo Beale. But maybe a guest appearance for a couple of episodes, but not a regular thing."
Linda, who split from her husband Mark Dunford in September 2023 after 33 years of marriage, said she will "never retire".
The star said she will be using her time to travel and spend it with friends and family - admitting her love life is not a priority.
Linda said at the TV Choice Awards: “No, I’ve got no interest in love life. I’ve got loads of friends around me. I like going on holidays, I’m going away in April with my two sister.
"I’ve just got back from the Caribbean as well with Beverly Callard."
“I’m never retiring, I can’t think of anything worse than retiring.”
Linda also revealed the sad reality of the struggles Pauline Quirke's loved ones are facing after she was diagnosed with dementia.
Linda exclusively told The Sun: “It’s very sad. We’ve been best friends since we were ten. I’ve known [about the diagnosis] for three years and we've managed to keep it quiet.
“She doesn’t know who anybody is.
“She doesn’t know who I am or who her kids are. Dementia is terrible - I’d rather get cancer, because at least then you’ve got a chance."
Linda continued: "My mum had it [dementia] as well. One in two people now get dementia, it's a lot of people.
"When my mum was in a hospice, we'd get there and she'd recognise us for a second and that was completely gone. It's the worst thing, it really really is."
After the news of Pauline's diagnosis was revealed last month, Linda took to Instagram to share her heartbreak.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
She wrote: "For the past three years, I’ve been in close contact with her husband, Steve, and have spent time with Pauline.
"It breaks my heart to see her endure such a terrible illness."
Is it ageing or dementia?
Dementia - the most common form of which is Alzheimer's - comes on slowly over time.
As the disease progresses, symptoms can become more severe.
But at the beginning, the symptoms can be subtle or mistaken for normal memory issues related to ageing.
The US National Institute on Aging gives some examples of what is considered normal forgetfulness in old age, and dementia disease.
You can refer to these above.
For example, it is normal for an ageing person to forget which word to use from time-to-time, but difficulting having conversation would be more indicative of dementia.
Katie Puckering, Head of Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Information Services team, previously told The Sun: “We quite commonly as humans put our car keys somewhere out of the ordinary and it takes longer for us to find them.
“As you get older, it takes longer for you to recall, or you really have to think; What was I doing? Where was I? What distracted me? Was it that I had to let the dog out? And then you find the keys by the back door.
“That process of retrieving the information is just a bit slower in people as they age.
“In dementia, someone may not be able to recall that information and what they did when they came into the house.
“What may also happen is they might put it somewhere it really doesn't belong. For example, rather than putting the milk back in the fridge, they put the kettle in the fridge.”
