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Privacy NoticeLoose Women panellist Sunetra Sarker has spilled the beans on the dynamics of the show’s cast and why she initially declined the opportunity to join the panel. The 51 year old actress, famed for her roles in shows like Casualty, first graced the ITV show as a guest in April 2021, where she chatted with Charlene White, Nadia Sawalha, Denise Welch and Jane Moore. She was back the next month, but this time as a guest panellist. Since then, Sunetra has been a regular face on the panel, occasionally appearing and even hosting Loose Women for the first time just last month. In a recent chat with the Mirror, Sunetra gave us a glimpse into what it’s like working on the show. The conversation was part of her promotional activities for her role as a judge at this year’s JustGiving Awards, which are set to take place next month.
Sunetra Sarker has opened up about the dynamics on the Loose Women panel
(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
When quizzed about the relationships between the panellists, who have made headlines over the years due to perceived tensions and friendships, Sunetra shared: “If there were any contradictory panels … I think they’ve done the show for so long they’ve learnt the hard way probably and they’ve now got to the point where it’s such a smooth running ship,” reports the Mirror. She went on to say: “You haven’t got time to have a spat, so to speak. Literally, you’ve got like 15 minutes to understand we’re gonna be doing a promo, and then this, and then get to make up.” She concluded by saying: “I’m not a real spatty kind of person and also my radar for things like this is really bad.” Discussing the sense of sisterhood on the show, she shared: “I think once you’re inside [there’s] that security of these people all looking out for you. I mean, I barely know some of the women because I’ve not done enough shows with them, I know they would absolutely come forward and stand up for me if I was having any trouble. I just know it. Isn’t that weird?”
Her co-stars also include Judi Love (centre left), Janet Street-Porter (centre right) and Denise Welch (right)
(Image: loosewomen / Instagram)
“I feel like I’ve just got this kinda of unconditional pass of a lot of very senior female ambassadors who would speak up in a room. If somebody slagged me off, I know Judi Love would go ‘oi! I’ll tell you what Sunetra’s like’. I know full well.” Sunetra then named Charlene and Kaye Adams as fellow panellists who’d have her back, before confidently stating: “I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t.” She expressed certainty that even those she hasn’t worked with much, like Gloria Hunniford and Christine Lampard, would support her. She went on to say: “And I’d do the same for them. If somebody said anything about them, I’d be like ‘oi! I’ll tell you what Janet Street-Porter’s like. She’s actually a real laugh’.” Wrapping up her thoughts, the panelist said: “Like I said, I’ve come in at the end of this sort of building of a big machine. I wish I knew some more of the gossip. [But] yeah, so it’s fun. It’s very … I feel very lucky to have got a pass to be part of that show.” Sunetra opened up about her initial reluctance to join the panel, recalling her time as an interviewee back in 2021 that led to the offer she initially declined. She reminisced: “I was like ‘no, it’s not for me. I’m an actor. I’ll have to stay in my lane. Y’know I know what I can do and what I can’t do. I’m sure that’s not for me.'” Later, when offered a one-off guest panellist spot, Sunetra considered it a “novelty,” akin to: “It’s a bit like being a competition winner.”
Sunetra’s work on the show has included a special segment, broadcast earlier this year, which saw her having a mammogram for the first time
(Image: Loose Women / Youtube)
She remarked on the panel’s “warm panel” vibe, which she described as “so much fun,” and appreciated how the seasoned “stalwarts” were eager for “new conversation”, saying: “I really felt how much they were embracing my take on things.” Initially thinking it would be just a single stint, Sunetra confessed her surprise at being asked back: “I was like ‘no, it was really nice but y’know this is a real fun thing to do [occasionally]’.” However, the show persisted, asking if she could appear for just 2 or 3 episodes a month. She revealed: “[I wasn’t keen but] they really wooed me into it, and the women were so friendly. They were asking me to go for a coffee after we’d finished and I kinda really got what it was about. I’d never understood it as a viewer. […] When you’re in it, it’s a really diverse bunch and you don’t know what you’re gonna talk about. […] I found it such a breath of fresh air from what my usual work is. […] I fit it in around my acting any time I can because I do really enjoy it.” “And then I got to anchor it, god knows what they were thinking. Maybe they needed some summer relief with the holidays but they were like ‘please come and anchor, give it a go’. I was like ‘you are pushing all my comfort zones again.'”Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnCasualtyLoose WomenChristine LampardDenise WelchGloria HunnifordJake QuickendenNadia SawalhaAdele
