Linda Robson reveals how she went from a mental health meltdown to feeling younger and in better shape than ever
WORDS: ROBYN MORRIS PHOTOS: GETTY
Back in 2018, Linda Robson was going through a terribly tough time with her mental health – battling OCD, depression, anxiety and an alcohol addiction. ‘I was having a meltdown,’ she said. ‘It felt like I wanted to die because I wasn’t enjoying life like I used to.’ The Birds of a Feather star’s weight plummeted and she even spent time in rehab, as well as taking an extended break from work.
But fast forward four years and Loose Women’s Linda, 64, is happier and healthier than she has been in a long time – and she’s finally found the perfect balance of enjoying life [and food!] and keeping herself fit and healthy for the sake of her family.
AGEING GRACEFULLY
While many famous faces turn to cosmetic surgery in a bid to slow down the ageing process, this isn’t an option for Linda, who prefers to age naturally. ‘The whole injectables thing is quite scary, I can’t imagine having needles stuck in me,’ she admitted. ‘I’m happy to make the most of what I’ve got,’ she added, refreshingly. ‘My hair is exactly the same as it’s always been – I came out of the womb looking like this. My beauty regime is I have my eyebrows dyed because they’re grey, I pluck my chin and I have a pedicure and manicure.’ But there’s one other reason Linda won’t turn to surgery – she doesn’t want her two daughters, Lauren and Roberta, following suit. ‘My girls keep talking about wanting lip fillers, and I’ve warned them, “Don’t you dare have your lips done or I’ll never speak to you again”,’ she said, adding, ‘I felt if I had something injected into me, then they’d think they could have lip fillers.’ But that doesn’t mean Linda doesn’t have her insecurities, as we all do. She once said, ‘I did think about having my droopy eyelids done once but my husband [Mark Dunford] and son went mad so I’ve stuck with them.’ Linda is also self-conscious about her neck, thanks to a comment made by her late mum, Rita, when she was younger. ‘My mum gave me a complex about my neck,’ she explained. ‘She used to say, “Your face looks lovely, but your neck…” And I’d tell her, “Well it’s the only one I’ve got, Mum!” So I wear a scarf sometimes.’
WEIGHT BATTLES
When Linda was at her lowest point mentally in 2018, she lost a whopping three stone and went from a size 18 to a size 10 after cutting out alcohol, carbs and sugar. But while she was praised for her weight loss at the time, lo
