Sally Lindsay on counting her blessings, her dear departed friend Paul O’Grady and why fading into the crowd can be a secret superpower
When Sally Lindsay turned 50 last summer, she didn’t bemoan the birthday that many find a difficult milestone. Instead, she counted her blessings.
“The truth is I’ve lost friends that haven’t made it this far,” says Sally with a sigh, when we catch up to chat about her Channel 5 hit, The Madame Blanc Mysteries.
“I honestly feel it’s an absolute privilege to be of good health and to have my beautiful children [twins Vic and Louie, 13], who weren’t that beautiful this morning when I was chucking them out to get the bus!
“But I count my blessings every day because of that. I genuinely do, and that was before people did gratitude books and manifesting and all that. I absolutely know what I’ve got.”
What she’s got is a happy family life with her husband, Steve White (a former drummer for Paul Weller), the twins and Steve’s two grown-up children from a previous relationship. And her successful career of course.
One of the loved ones Sally has recently lost is TV presenter and comedian Paul O’Grady, who passed away in March after suffering heart problems. “He was a very dear friend of mine and I miss him every day,” she says. “Our group of [mutual] friends went out to celebrate his life over Christmas. We can’t even imagine him asleep, never mind dead. I’m still not there.”
Paul met Sally during her time in Coronation Street (2001-06) and invited her on to his chat show numerous times. They became friends and went on to develop ideas for TV shows together. “When you were in the room with Paul, it was a special thing because he was so fun and so down to earth,” she says fondly.
Any shock Sally might have felt at turning 50 has been soothed by the fact that she has many friends in midlife. “I’ve got brilliant girlfriends and we’re all around the same age and going through the menopause and all that malarkey together,” she says. “To me, they all look exactly the same as they did. Steve and I will have been married ten years this year as well, and together for 20 and, to me, we don't look any different. Of course we do, but because we’ve grown up together I don’t see it. We’d all love to look 35 again, but what can you do? I remember when I was 35 thinking I looked dead old!”
Warm and quick-witted, Sally is great company. She’s been a familiar face on our TV screens for decades, starring in Phoenix Nights, Coronation Street, Mount Pleasant and Madame Blanc. On top of that, she’s carved out a career as a TV writer, co ‐creatin
