‘I can keep working until I’m 90 – then I might relax’
Actress Su Pollard on how she’s not slowing down in her seventies and how cooking is her latest passion thanks to Celebrity Masterchef
Actress Su Pollard is not a woman who does things quietly. She never has been. Since bursting on to our TV screens in 1980 as ditzy chalet girl Peggy Ollerenshaw in BBC TV series Hi-de-hi!, about the lives of a group of holidaycamp entertainers, she’s been known for her over-the-top outfits, effervescent personality and ability to make people smile.
Now 71, she looks fantastic and has every intention of growing old disgracefully. Her zest for life is infectious and she loves trying new things. The latest is cooking. But rather than simply attempting a few dishes at her North London home, she’s signed up for the new series of Celebrity Masterchef.
Here, she gives us a flavour of how it went and explains why she hopes to be gadding around the West End until she’s at least 100…
Are you any good at cooking, Su?
I put things in the oven. But
I don’t cook and that’s because when I first started my career
I did a lot of touring so could only eat at certain times. When you’ve done a matinée and a show in the evening, the last thing you want to do is start cooking. I’d usually eat after a show, at about 10.30pm. I’ve never had to cook and when they asked me to do Masterchef, I thought, “Su, you’re getting on, you need to do some sort of cooking before you’re 75.” I will say though, I’ve only ever eaten two ready meals in my life. I don’t cook, but I love eating good food.
Did you learn any culinary skills from your mother?
Every Sunday, when I was about 12, she used to teach me the facts of life while she was cooking a roast. You’ll be pleased to know, I’m better at the facts of life than I am at cooking!
How did things go on Celebrity Masterchef?
I won’t give too much away but, you know, it was stressful. Gregg [Wallace] and John [Torode] don’t hide their displeasure when they are walking around. John would look at me as if to say, “What the b **** y hell is that?” It was a bit intimidating, but I learnt so much.
Are you likely to be doing more cooking now?
Yes. I have bought myself some measuring spoons, some scales, a frying pan and a stopwatch. I drew the line at a mixer, because I don’t know how to use one and would be terrified that it would explode out all over the kitchen. I am about to host my second-ever dinner party. I’m going to do one of the dishes
I did on the show. The great thing about Masterchef is that I learnt all about herbs and spices. I only knew the obvious ones before, like basil and mint, but now I know how to add a little bit of sage or thyme and have stocked up with about 50 new spices.
You said on Masterchef that you might get marriage proposals if you learnt how to cook…
I was joking. I wouldn’t want to be doing with all that again. I’d rather entertain gentlemen. You know, it is better if somebody comes and visits two or three times a week. But you’ve got to be careful, because each time they come they bring more stuff. You think, “When I first met you, you’d only one pair of shoes and now there are 10 pairs in my wardrobe!”
Do you have any plans to slow down as you get older?
No. I do love a party and I will be the last to leave as I get my second and then my third wind. If I’m going the pace, I’ll be dancing away until 4am. I love a glass of pinot or rosé wine, but I can’t stand cocktails,
I prefer the names – a “slow comfortable screw against the wall” sounds great, but I don’t like the taste of the drink. As for retirement, if people want to give me work I enjoy, it is a marvellous thing. I like to think I still have something to offer. Enthusiasm is important, too. I have to have it for anything I do. I like to think I can keep working until I am 90 and then I might relax and enjoy myself for 10 years.
‘I read about 100 books during lockdown and it was blooming marvellous’
Are you happy living alone?
I am very happy in my own company and I do have a lovely group of friends of all ages. I hop into a taxi and go into the West End a lot. I love going to the theatre and out for dinner. I am not a fan of pubs, especially not on a Friday or a Saturday
night when they are 10 people deep at the bar.
Do you drive or own a car?
I’ve never driven. I don’t need to as I always travel by train or taxi. My dad did give me a driving lesson once. He tried to get me to do a hill start, but I was rolling backwards and he was shouting, “Stop, stop, stop!” He said, “You’ve frightened me to death, Su.” When we got home, he turned to my mum and said, “Hilda, have you got a whisky to calm my nerves?”
How did you survive lockdown?
Well, firstly I accepted what was happening. I still travelled. I went into the West End and it was like the apocalypse. There was nobody about. A friend of mine kept recommending books to me and I got into reading again after not doing it for years.
I read about 100 books during lockdown and it was blooming marvellous.
Have you always been so upbeat about life?
I have more or less, yes, although I did have a terrible period when I was really upset. I was 21 and I split from my boyfriend of three years. I felt dreadful every single day and kept wanting to be sick. Time does heal, but I would never went to feel that way again. It did teach me a lesson, though. If I hear that anybody is having a difficult, emotional experience, I never disregard it. It might not sound like the end of the world to you, but you never truly know what another person is going through inside.
What do you think you would have done if you hadn’t become an actor?
At one time I wanted to be an archaeologist, but I don’t like creepy-crawlies in the soil, so that was never going to work. I would have liked to have been a counsellor and helped people with their difficulties. In a way, though, entertainment is not that dissimilar, as you never know what pleasure you are bringing to people who are going through a difficult time. I get some lovely letters from people, saying things like, “I haven’t been out since my wife died and I’d like to thank you because I laughed for the first time in years watching the show.” It is so rewarding and when people say things like, “We actors aren’t rocket scientists,” I reply, “But we might be healing somebody’s broken heart.” The way I look at it, we are heart doctors.