Linda Robson

Early life

Robson was educated at Ecclesbourne Primary School, and at the private, fee-paying Anna Scher Theatre School, both in Islington.

Early career

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 in 1982 and the IRA drama Harry's Game.

Television

Robson subsequently appeared in programmes such as The Bill and Crossroads. 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 reached the semi-finals.

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. In 2012, Robson became a regular panellist on the ITV lunchtime chat show Loose Women, after having previously appeared as a guest.

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. 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. In March 2015, it was announced that ITV had commissioned a third revived series (twelfth overall). The series will be filmed in 2015 and aired in early 2016.

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.

Other work

In November 2014, Robson was a part of Gareth Malone's 'All Star Choir', who released a cover version of Wake Me Up to raise money for the BBC's Children in Need. The single reached No.1 on the Official UK Singles Chart.

Personal life

Robson has lived in Islington, North London all her life. She is married with three children: Lauren (born 1984), Louis (born 1992) and Bobbie (born 1997). She became a grandmother in 2012.

Robson's father was a chain-smoker, who died of lung cancer when he was 57. 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.

On an episode of This Morning, Robson matched the Guinness World Record for filling as many pancakes as possible in the space of one minute. She managed to fill six pancakes.