Zoe Lucker

Yorkshire-born Zoe Lucker has been on our screens a lot in recent years in TV dramas such as "Holby City", Trial & Retribution IV (2000) (TV), Barabara, Brazen Hussies (1996) (TV) and "Coronation Street" (1960), where she played Sonia Leech, owner of the beauty parlour where Raquel worked.

But it's her role as Tanya Turner in "Footballers' Wives" (2002) that she really loves. She adores her character ("We're both survivors, but I wouldn't use people the way she does to get on in life"), the stunning clothes, the dramatic scenes with screen husband Cristian Solimeno - and she's even learnt to live with her extra-long fake fingernails. The only part she hated was filming the opening sequence in a pool because, probably just like Tanya, she's not keen on swimming and prefers to keep her head above water. However, 28-year-old Lucker really is keen on football, and once bid successfully at a charity auction for a tour of Leeds United football ground.

Good to be a bad girl

September 3, 2004 - By Sally Scott

Still having Footballer's Wives withdrawal symptoms? The bad news is that even though Series 3 of the sexually depraved life and times of UK Premiership footballers and their partners has recently finished on SABC3, the producers of the show have not yet decided whether to make another series.

The last series finished on a cliffhanger of note - Tanya Turner's pregnancy by Frank, whom she had earlier, literally, bonked to death. Cliffhangers leaving viewers wanting a whole lot more are a well known ploy by producers.

When a series is as popular as the super trashy Footballer's Wives, the producers soon realise what a winner they are on to.

Hence the cliffhanger and then they wait, forcing the broadcasters to ask for a contract renewal for a new series and, of course, a much bigger pay packet at the end of the day.

The good news is that SABC3 are off overseas next month to the latest TV acquisitions festival and if Footballer's Wives is on the menu they will definitely be buying. If there is a new series it will be shown here around the middle of next year.

And what of our Tanya? She'll be swopping her Dolce & Gabbana for denim prison overalls on Monday as the character leaps from one series into another - Bad Girls.

"I can't wait to see how Tanya deals with it," commented Zoe Lucker in an interview she gave to the Daily Mail in January.

"I can't imagine her without her twice weekly fake tans and those nails. But, knowing Tanya, the experience will make her even stronger. She'll probably end up running the place."

The character has been able to make the transition between the two TV dramas because they are both made by the same company, Shed Productions.

"I was banged up at the end of the third series of Footballer's Wives and now I pop up in a news series of Bad Girls."

"Moving TV characters from one show to another like this is quite a new thing. We're breaking barriers, but it isn't any more weird than opening a magazine and seeing a Footballer's Wives spread of pictures as if it were real. That happens all the time."

Lucker is 30 this year and says she is quite pleased to be reaching a figure where she'll finally look her age.

"I've looked like I was 30 years old ever since I was 16. I started playing Tanya when I was 26 and she was supposed to be 34 - so she's 37 now."

What does Lucker like most about her character?

"Actually I'm really fond of her. I love her feistiness and I know where Tanya's coming from. I know she's done some awful things, but it's all a reaction to her pain. Jason was the love of her life and he let her down so many times, but she's really got a heart of gold."

The downside?

"The only thing I hate about her is the nails." Lucker has short neatly manicured nails.

"Tanya's are in a plastic bag in my suitcase. You can't do up buttons in them, so basically you can't dress yourself. But, they're so right for Tanya, I just can't sacrifice them".

Sad to say, the nails are the first thing to go when Tanya joins the rest of the bad girls on Larkhall's G-Wing on Monday.

Zoe Lucker is in great shape. With her blonde hair flicked up at the ends and tight jeans clinging to all the right places, the Footballers' Wives star looks as stunning in real life as she does on screen. Some traits of her superbitch character, Tanya Turner, are still there in the extremely long nails and permanent tan. But it's obvious Lucker is very happy with how she looks, which is just as well considering her new fitness video aims to encourage women to squeeze into their favourite frocks.

'The Little Black Dress' Workout is for all those women who have a too-tight party dress hanging at the back of the wardrobe. With Lucker's help, they should be able to fit into it in a matter of weeks. Lucker, 29, says the routine is surprisingly easy, that even she can do it, and she dislikes working out. "Well it had been a very long time since I had done any exercise," she laughs. "I hated the thought of going to the gym and I tried swimming and found myself watching the clock. I found it so boring. I knew I needed to introduce fitness into my life at some stage and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do it."

Anyone buying the video will most likely want to lose weight, but Lucker says she just used the workout to tone up and get fit. "I never set out to lose weight because I don't think I need to lose weight and I don't want to promote unhealthy body image in young women," she says. "I think it's really important that fitness is the main thing but obviously the video clearly aids weight loss if that's why you're doing it."

A tiny size eight to 10, Lucker says she tries not to weigh herself because it "can become obsessive". She tends to eat healthy foods, with occasional chips and rich pasta sauces. "I've always enjoyed eating fish, chicken, salad and vegetables," she says. "I enjoy the fact that by being disciplined about what I eat, without doing finicky diets and without depriving myself of all the nutrients I require, that I feel happier in terms of I'm not worried about what I can wear. It makes me feel much more active than if I sat and ate pies all day."

But Lucker admits to one vice she shares with Tanya - smoking. She confesses she's been hooked for "10-ish" years, adding: I do realise it's something I need to knock on the head. I'll get there eventually."

Huddersfield-born Lucker started her acting life in commercials - advertising Tunes and B&Q. She landed roles in Where The Heart Is?, Coronation Street and Doctors, but the work was irregular and she was forced to take administration jobs. She says there has been "eight years of rejection and heartache in this industry" and she was considering becoming a primary school teacher when Footballers' Wives came along. She explains: "I enjoyed all those acting jobs but they didn't come along as often as I wanted. I love working and I love acting and so it was terribly frustrating dropping leaflets in Crouch End.

"I was a really bad receptionist. The phone would ring and it was all that stuff of transferring. I remember once the boss saying, 'Fax this', and I thought I was going to throw up, I was so nervous. I'd definitely rather have the job I have now. Obviously the show has completely changed my life."

Lucker lives in Stoke Newington, north London, having split from her husband, estate agent Richard Forshaw in October 2001. After five years together and just 15 months of marriage, she realised things weren't working out and wanted to leave. Her new love is television presenter Tony Craig. The pair split up briefly but have got back together. "That's all fine," she smiles, not wanting to give too much away, but admits she's not thinking of remarrying. "I would love to have babies at some stage," she points out. "I love children and I would love to be a mum. I'm very lucky at the moment with all my work though."

Footballers' Wives has been a massive success, with millions tuning in for the first two series. The third will hit our screens in the new year, and will see Tanya jailed for murdering her husband Jason. Premiership players seem to love the drama. "We've had people like Teddy Sheringham and Sol Campbell on the show," Lucker says. "And the wives that I've spoken to love it. I spoke to Alex Best the other day and she loves it. I know Ian Wright's wife's a big fan and through the grapevine I hear Victoria likes it.

"The important thing is we never set out to say this is what footballers do and this is what footballers' wives do. It's make believe, it's a drama, not a documentary. I suppose it's fantasy and escapism. Visually it's so fantastic. It's like a television version of a glossy magazine."

In the programme, Tanya is obsessed with money, wears designer clothes and is dripping in diamonds. Although Lucker likes shopping and has treated herself to a Rolex watch, she insists she doesn't spend thousands on dressing up. However a new house could be on the agenda.

"I'd love to live in one of those town houses in Islington, like Sherlock Holmes' house," she laughs. "Maybe in a couple of years that will be do-able and it's something to work towards. It would be rubbish if you were given loads of money and told to do what you want. It's a fantastic sense of achievement when you know you've worked towards something."

The actress turns 30 in April, but instead of dreading it, she's actually quite excited. "It will be a pleasure to catch up with the age that I've looked for so many years now," she laughs. "People have always thought I've looked older than what I am. It will be a great time in my life. I'm at a stage where I feel very happy."

THERE seems to be some sort of competition going on to see who can wear the most sequins in the hours of daylight. But the daftest sight of the night has to be Tanya (Zoe Lucker) trying to type in her javelin-length nail extensions.

Exactly what is the strange and disgusting hold that Eva de Wolffe (Joan Collins) has over her Brazilian footballing lovegod Paolo? Tanya's on the internet, determined to get to the bottom of it - and to the bottom of Paolo as well.

Meanwhile, Callum's delightful mum, Trisha, fears she may have scored a bit of an own goal by pretending to be dying of cancer.

A fellow patient (a real one this time) suggests a trip to Lourdes. "Nah," Trisha growls. "I've never been that fussed about cricket."

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