Linda Robson
Linda Robson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Linda Patricia Mary Robson[1] 13 March 1958 Islington, London, England |
| Occupation | Actress, presenter |
| Years active | 1970–2018, 2020-present |
| Television | Birds of a Feather Loose Women |
| Spouse(s) | Mark Dunford |
| Children | 3 |
Linda Patricia Mary Robson (born 13 March 1958) is an English actress and television presenter. She is best known for playing Tracey Stubbs in the sitcom Birds of a Feather (1989–1998, 2014–2020) and her appearances as a weekly panellist on the ITV series Loose Women (2012–2018, 2020-present).
As a founder student of Anna Scher's Theatre School, Robson had a significant number of appearances on screen as a child actor.
Early life[]
Robson was born in Islington, London to an English father and an Irish mother. She has two sisters. Educated at Ecclesbourne Primary School, where Anna Scher started her Theatre School in 1968 with Robson and Pauline Quirke being amongst the founding students.[2] Later she attended the Shelburne Secondary School for Girls, now amalgamated into Highbury Fields School,[3] and The Young Actors Theatre, all in Islington.
Career[]
Early career[]
Robson first appeared on screen in the 1970 film Junket 89 produced by Children's Film Foundation alongside other actors from The Anna Scher Children's Theatre in Islington,[4] including Pauline Quirke.[5] Robson had a non-speaking role as a young girl amidst a group of roaming 'survivors' in the second series of the original BBC Survivors drama screened in 1976 and then appeared in Pauline's Quirkes (her first regular appearance with Pauline Quirke) and the drama series The Crezz, the comedy drama Shine on Harvey Moon and the short lived sitcom L for Lester (both in 1982) and the IRA drama Harry's Game.
Birds of a Feather[]
Robson played Tracey Stubbs in the BBC sitcom Birds of a Feather from 1989 to 1998, starring with Pauline Quirke and Lesley Joseph.
Television[]
Robson subsequently appeared in programmes such as The Bill and Crossroads. Following the success of Birds of a Feather, she appeared again with Pauline Quirke in Jobs for the Girls.[6] She appeared with Jenny Eclair and Dillie Keane in the original cast of Grumpy Old Women Live, a spin-off from the television series Grumpy Old Women, written by Jenny Eclair and Judith Holder. On 9 August 2007, she narrated a show for ITV, called Britain's Youngest Brides. In July 2008, Robson entered Celebrity MasterChef and went out in the first round.
In July 2010, Robson made a guest appearance in BBC drama series Casualty, playing the mother of a young man with bipolar disorder. Robson was the first celebrity to arrive in Australia ahead of the 2012 series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, but was voted out on the 13th day in the camp on 23 November 2012, finishing in 9th place.
Loose Women[]
Robson made her debut as a guest panellist on Loose Women on 19 August 2003, appearing alongside Kaye Adams, Carol McGiffin & Terri Dwyer. Robson returned to the show as a guest panellist on 2 December 2010, before returning as an occasional panellist from 11 November 2011, soon later regular panellist Jenny Eclair left the show in June 2012, this meant Robson was made a regular panellist on 19 June 2012, replacing Eclair. As of 2016 Robson appears on Loose Women 1 or 2 times a week.[7] Robson made 3 appearances during Series 16, 28 appearances in Series 17, 44 appearances in Series 18, 35 appearances in Series 19 and 57 appearances in Series 20. Robson in Series 21, made 34 appearances, in series 22, made a total of 49. For Series 23 Linda made 21 appearances as of December 2018. Robson did not return after Christmas and has been replaced by Brenda Edwards. After a period of absence due to sickness, Linda returned to the panel 17 January 2020.
Birds of a Feather revival[]
In 2013, it was announced that Birds of a Feather was to return for a tenth series, this time airing on the ITV network. The first episode aired on 2 January 2014 to an audience of over 8 million. After a successful tenth series, it was announced in 2014 that Birds of a Feather would return for an eleventh series, which began on 26 December 2014.[8][9] In March 2015, it was announced that ITV had commissioned a third revived series (twelfth overall) which began airing in January 2016.[10] The next series has been ordered and plans were mad to air in 2017. However filming has yet begun for a full series. Confusion occurred in February 2019 when Nigel Lythgoe seemed to suggest the series had ended. However an ITV representative later confirmed this was false as reported on digital Spy. ITV have confirmed a new series will air and the hope was to start recording this year to mark 30 years of the sitcom. However this has since been put on hold due to Lesley Joseph's busy schedule. A 2020 special has been filmed for this Christmas but without Pauline Quirke who has retired from acting to put efforts in to other works.
Radio[]
Robson is an occasional guest presenter for BBC London 94.9. In November 2012, she played the part of Lisa, the hypochondriac mother of Luke (Daniel Mays) in Alexander Kirk's play Told You I Was Ill, episode two in the series Living with Mother on BBC Radio 4.[11]
Other work[]
In November 2014, Robson was a part of Gareth Malone's 'All Star Choir',[12] who released a cover version of Wake Me Up to raise money for the BBC's Children in Need.[13] The single reached No.1 on the Official UK Singles Chart.
In 2011, Robson appeared in the film Anuvahood as K's mum Pauline. In 2012, Robson took part in the twelfth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, coming in 9th place. On 12 November 2016 Robson appeared on Tipping Point Lucky Stars on ITV.
Personal life[]
Robson has lived in Islington, London, all her life.[14] She is married with three children.
Robson's father was a chain-smoker, who died of lung cancer when he was 57.[15] Her mother also died of cancer in August 2012. In October 2013, Robson voiced an interactive video campaign for the British Lung Foundation aiming to ban smoking in cars with children on board in the United Kingdom, in memory of her father.[16][17]
Filmography[]
Film[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Junket 89 | Daisy | |
| 1972 | The Trouble with 2B | Daisy | |
| Anoop and the Elephant[18] | Linda | ||
| 1976 | The Likely Lads | Marsha | |
| The Battle of Billy's Pond | Sally | ||
| 2011 | Anuvahood | Pauline | |
| 2012 | Outside Bet | Lil |
Television[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Against the Crowd | Marilyn | "We Are All Guilty" |
| Within These Walls | Gillie | "Remand Wing" | |
| 1975–1980 | Play for Today | Various | TV series |
| 1976 | Within These Walls | Pip | "On Trial" |
| Couples | Sonia | #1.73, #1.74, #1.75 | |
| Survivors | Barbara | "Over the Hills" | |
| The Crezz | Linda Smith / Jane Smith | "Fire Down Below", "Gone to the Dogs" | |
| BBC2 Playhouse | Linda | "A Martyr to the System" | |
| Pauline's Quirkes | Various | TV series | |
| 1977 | Premiere | Val | "There's No Place" |
| 1978 | Television Club | Jackie | "Freshwater Shark", "Push for Poem" |
| The Law Centre | Maureen | "Winning Friends, Losing Lovers" | |
| Out | Mo | "Maybe He'll Bring Back a Geisha" | |
| 1979 | Dick Turpin | Lucy | "The Hostages" |
| Thomas & Sarah | Nelly | "The New Rich" | |
| Kids | Linda Platt | "Stephen" | |
| 1980 | Cribb | Bessie Hardicker | "The Horizontal Witness" |
| BBC2 Playhouse | Elaine | "Mary's Wife" | |
| The Gentle Touch | Chris Adams | "Something Blue" | |
| 1981 | A Sharp Intake of Breath | Maureen | "Match of the Day" |
| Agony | Mary | "Hospital Romances" | |
| The Other 'Arf | Sharon | "Holding the Baby" | |
| Going Out | Gerry Henshaw | TV series | |
| 1982 | The Agatha Christie Hour | Edna | "The Case of the Middle-Aged Wife" |
| BBC2 Playhouse | Sandra | "Chains" | |
| Harry's Game | Theresa McCorrigan | TV mini-series | |
| L for Lester | Jenny | TV series | |
| 1982–1985 | Shine on Harvey Moon | Maggie Moon | Main role |
| 1983 | Up the Elephant and Round the Castle | Cheryl | "May the Best Man Win" |
| 1987 | Lizzie's Pictures | Shirley | TV mini-series |
| Bad Boyes | Miss King | "The Slug", "The Slug Returns", "On the Run" | |
| 1988 | Thin Air | Pat | TV mini-series |
| The Bill | Janet Simmons | "Runaround" | |
| South of the Border | Maureen | #1.5 | |
| CivvyStreet | Flo | TV film | |
| 1989–1998, 2014–2020 | Birds of a Feather | Tracey Stubbs | Main role |
| 1995 | Shine on Harvey Moon | Maggie Moon | Main role |
| 1996 | Royal Variety Performance | Tracy Stubbs | TV film |
| 2003 | Crossroads | Wanda Wise | TV series |
| The Bill | Michelle Page | #137 | |
| 2003, 2010–2018, 2020–present | Loose Women | Herself | Guest Panellist (2003, 2010) Occasional Panellist (2011–2012) Regular Panellist (2012–2018, 2020–) |
| 2004 | Monkey Trousers | Various | TV film |
| 2006 | The Slammer | Sue | #1.3 |
| The Bill | Christine Howarth | #460 | |
| 2010 | Casualty | Louise Costello | "Going Solo" |
| 2013 | Common Ground | Michelle | "Barry" |
| 2014 | Text Santa 2014 | Tracey Stubbs | TV film |
| 2017 | Gone to Pot American Road Trip | Herself, co-presenter | |
| 2018 | Hollyoaks | Guest | |
| 2021 | Celebs on the Farm | Herself | Contestant[19] |
References[]
- ^ "Linda Patricia Mary ROBSON - Personal Appointments (free information from Companies House)". beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
- ^ Hattenstone, Simon (24 March 2004). "Simon Hattenstone meets Anna Scher". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
- ^ "History of the school - Highbury Fields School". www.highburyfields.islington.sch.uk. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
- ^ "Junket 89 (1970)". IMDb. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
- ^ Shail, Robert (2016). The Children's Film Foundation: History and Legacy. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781844578603. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
- ^ Ella Glazer, ed. (2002). Fun with the Famous. Robson. p. 83. ISBN 1861055838.
Pauline and I were doing a series called Jobs for the Girls. That particular week I was asked to go and work for The Guardian newspaper as a photographer
- ^ "Linda Robson | Loose Women". ITV. 4 November 2013. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
- ^ "Birds of a Feather recommissioned for second ITV series – TV News". Digital Spy. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
- ^ "Birds of a Feather recommissioned for second series | presscentre". Itv.com. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
- ^ Eames, Tom. "Birds of a Feather renewed for 12th series by ITV – TV News". Digital Spy. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- ^ "BBC Radio 4 – Living with Mother, Series 2, Told You I Was Ill". BBC. 19 June 2013. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
- ^ "Children in Need – Gareth Malone forms an all-star choir for the Official BBC Children in Need single". BBC. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- ^ Gareth Malone (25 September 2014). "Gareth Malone to form All-Star Choir for official BBC Children in Need single 2014 – Media Centre". BBC. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- ^ Loose Women, 29 January 2013
- ^ This Morning, 24 January 2012
- ^ "Smoking in cars – Linda Robson". Blf.org.uk. Archived from the original on 11 October 2013. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
- ^ "Smoking in cars - Linda Robson". BritLungFoundation. 10 October 2013. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
- ^ "Anoop and the Elephant". British Film Institute. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
- ^ "Kerry Katona and Holly Hagan sign up for Celebs on the Farm". Closer. 16 December 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
External links[]
- Linda Robson at IMDb
- 1958 births
- Living people
- English film actresses
- English radio actresses
- English stage actresses
- English television actresses
- English people of Irish descent
- Actresses from London
- People with obsessive–compulsive disorder
- People from Islington (district)
- Alumni of the Anna Scher Theatre School
- 20th-century English actresses
- 21st-century English actresses
- I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (British TV series) participants