Loose Women stars Ruth Langsford, Kaye Adams and Nadia Sawalha let rip to TV Times magazine about casual sexism, giving David Dimbleby and co a run for their money and getting into hot water with their men…
It’s great seeing you all back on the show – what made you return?
Ruth: "The nature of Loose Women is that panelists come and go. Your lives take different turns and people leave to do other jobs or have babies, but they often come back. It’s interesting to have so many of the original ladies at the moment."
Nadia: "It’s great to be back!"
How much has changed since you were last on the panel?
Nadia: "We’ve all got kids of roughly the same age, which is so weird."
Kaye: "Before we became mums, other panel members would say, 'You don’t have kids, you don’t know what you’re talking about' and we would think that was ridiculous. Now of course we’re tempted to say the same thing!"
Loose Women has enjoyed a revamp, and the conversation seems more serious too...
Kay: "Obviously the show is influenced by the personalities on it, but the world has changed a lot since we left. Pre-2008 we were all a lot more hedonistic…"
Nadia: "Now we’ve all got pensions and it’s so depressing!"
Kay: "The mood of the nation is definitely different since the economic crisis and people are more concerned about the future, so we have to reflect the zeitgeist."
Do you think there is sometimes a misconception about the nature of the programme?
Kaye: "It’s always bugged me that people talk about a ‘daytime audience’ as if that means something derogatory and it absolutely doesn’t – we never underestimate our viewers. It’s also too easy to dismiss a group of women, even in terms of some of the language used to describe us. People talk about our conversations as ‘gossip’ and ‘chat’, but actually they're ‘discussions’ and ‘debates’, which are words attached to shows like Question Time. It’s a very casual way of putting us in our place. But I think we’ve got a line-up that challenges those perceptions."
Nadia: "There’s a connotation to ‘chat’ that it's worthless fluff - you'd would never use that word to discuss an all-male panel show."
Would you like to see more women debating big issues?
Kaye: "If they had an all-women panel on Question Time it would be the result of a high-level meeting, but I bet they never have that sort of discussion when five blokes are on, which regularly happens. We have to have the courage of our convictions to say it is important that there is greater representation across the board, and we shouldn’t be bullied or cowed into saying, 'Oh, but I love men really!'"
Would the world be a better place if it were run by women?
Kaye: "Funnily enough, Janet Street-Porter said that on the show yesterday. She thinks there would be less shilly-shallying among politicians if there were more women in Parliament. Personally I’m not sure. I would love to think it was true, but I probably don’t because I think it’s all about power and protecting your own position. OK we’re female, but we’re also human beings and I don’t think men and women have absolutely exclusive traits."
Nadia: "I think we all believe there should be more women in positions of power, but men shouldn't be excluded. After all, sexism can go both ways and I think women often forget that. It’s not right to just say that all men are idiots - imagine if we heard that the other way round. I think we make a real point of that on the show these days."
Ruth: "We’re definitely not man-haters. There’s often been that misconception that we’re man-beating on the show and we’re not – we do moan about our husbands sometimes, but we’re not saying we’re all wonderful and men are stupid."
Kaye: "But it is remarkable that we should still be looking at a show with four women on it as something of an oddity. You do have to question that state of affairs. Progress would be when it’s not something to discuss."
You’re all very open about your personal lives on the show – has your honesty ever landed you in the doghouse at home?
Nadia: "I do sometimes worry about saying too much about my family, but I think it goes with the territory and I never really regret it. One day I said that I was initially attracted to my husband because he smelled of baby sick. The show wasn’t even over and people were tweeting it – he was mortified."
Ruth: "I once said that my husband, Eamonn [Holmes] was a really good kisser and he was just horribly embarrassed. At least I didn’t say he was a bad kisser!"
What is the best thing about being on Loose Women?
Ruth: "I love working with Eamonn on This Morning, but because he’s really funny people assume I’m the straight person. It’s nice that viewers get to see a different side to me on Loose Women. I also like that no two shows are ever the same; it’s a completely different dynamic depending on what the stories are and who is on the panel on the day."
Nadia: "Female conversation is extraordinary. There’s just something so fabulous about the way you can be incredibly serious - and maybe even tearful - and then, the next second, you’re laughing your heads off."
Kay: "That is one of the best things about us – a Loose Women recording without a belly laugh is a bad day!"
