Sherrie Hewson webchat 27 February 1-2pm

Brie

Hi Sherrie. Do you prefer acting or presenting? I always liked you in Corrie.

I like them equally as much. I've been on Loose Women 11 years now and I have enjoyed every second of it and I'm very passionate about it. It's a really important show and very unique and not ageist! Equally, when Benidorm came along, and Joyce, I was more than thrilled and love it with as much passion because it's my kind of foray back into acting as I've concentrated on Loose Women for so long. I feel very privileged that I can now do two truly wonderful ITV shows in conjunction with each other. I feel truly lucky and love them both. And of course Corrie will always be in my heart - I have truly wonderful memories.

gillybob

Hello Sherrie

I too loved Benidorm and feel a bit sorry for the obviously very frustrated and inverted snob that is Joyce Temple-Savage. I would love to know more about "her" and wonder if she started out running a small B&B and worked her way up or was she a holiday Rep "back in the day" ? Was she married to a Mr Temple-Savage?

I think you play the part fantastically well and wonder if there is any "Joyce" in Sherrie?

More more more please.

I'm thrilled that you love Joyce and indeed Benidorm. This is my take on her background: I believe she was a BOAC glamorous air stewardess in those days and then went on to be a glamorous entertainments manager on cruise ships. And then of course ended up at the Solana, which is why she wanted the four stars. I think she's been a bit of a girl, had quite a few affairs, I don't know if there's ever been a Mr Temple-Savage - I suspect not. But there's been many affairs of the heart that left her sadly broken-hearted. I think she's probably destined to be on her own and I agree, I feel sorry for her. But she does being it on herself by being too bossy. This time, though we see a very emotional side to her, she does have a heart. I think really she needs a man to do something with at some point, but we don't know what.

Thank for your kind words about my portrayal of Joyce. It was wonderful that Derren Litten wrote the part with me in mind because, as an actor, that never happens, so I feel very privileged to be a part of that. Long may she live to find someone she can have an affair with at least for 5 minutes as they all seem to die or disappear!

The Joyce that's in Sherrie is, sadly, the victim because I too am looking for a man and I too can't find one! There you have the similarity, but you never know - I'm always hoping and so is Joyce!

malibu

Do you ever miss Corrie? I have to say I loved Maureen but Reg was very annoying

I had 5 years on Corrie and I loved every second. I was married to Reg, Fred Elliot and Bill Webster so I didn't have the toy boys of the street and I always complained that I was the only one that never had an affair with Ken Barlow. I think she should go back and start one!

Maureen was a great character, though she was downtrodden by her mother and ruled by Reg. Reg was good fun though and when she married Fred I think she missed the silliness, then she married Bill Webster who was quite straight, so again she missed the craziness.

I do miss Corrie in the days that I was there - it's a very different show now, but never say never. The world is open to Ken Barlow and I think Maureen and him got on very well, so I'm putting myself forward for the job. I may see you back there one day!

Connie29

Hi Sherrie. What's the most contentious subject you've discussed on Loose Women where you've thought a fight was going to break out?

The most contentious that springs to mind is when we discussed whether you would blame a man who had an affair, or the woman he had an affair with. There were two of us on each side and I think it was Carole McGiffin that said she would blame the man, and I said I would would blame the women. She said, you can't blame the other woman because the guy shouldn't have gone there in the first place!

I said it's because I've been in the situation and I used to watch how predatory women were, hitting on my husband - being the man he was he was too weak to say no. Actually I still blamed him though, so I blamed both! In my experience the woman was the predator and the man was the weakling.

So we had a massive row and it carried on after as well, as she was saying "you can't blame the woman". Then we came off air and had a bottle of wine! We kind of all agree in the end but it did cause an almighty fight.

Venus321

What is your favourite thing to do with your grandchildren? Also, you always wear such nice clothes on loose women, what is your favourite colour?

Just about everything - we go swimming, play tennis.. but one of the places I like to take them to is in Southport, Martin Mere Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust - we call it "the ducks". I took Ollie there from birth and now I take Molly too. It's the most amazing place to see any birds and they have 20,000 swans which will have just arrived from their colder climate. They all arrive together, feed until it's warm enough to fly, then all fly off together.

There are lots of things for them to learn there, the flamingos are fascinating (Molly's learnt why flamingos are pink) and they never want to leave. It's so wonderful and exciting.

That's my favourite place to take them. But of course, we go back in the afternoon and the first thing they want to do is bake cupcakes that supposedly look like swans! We bring pictures back and cook cakes that are stuck together to look like the birds or otters (all the creatures). We have a wonderful time cooking.

Well, thank you for the compliment. My favourite colour is lemon but it doesn't suit me so I wear navy blue a lot. I like lemon because it reminds me of the sun, but navy suits me more than anything else.

Ruby6918

hi sherrie, well done and good luck with the new book, if you could go to a cooking masterclass with a famous chef who would you choose and why? and what would you say is your never fiails signature dish?

If you could give your grandchildren one piece of advice what would it be ?

Thanks cathy, love your work and u r brill!

If I could go on a cookery masterclass it would be with Ken Hom mainly because I did, Soapstar Superchef and he taught me how to cook the perfect Thai green curry - Thai is one of my favourites and I've always wanted to know how to make it properly. I made it with Ken standing beside me - he is the sweetest man in the world and one of the best chefs. If was fantastic! I have to be honest and say I've never made it as well as when Ken was standing next to me!

My signature dish that never fails...Nana's House pie is one of them. Everyone likes my lamb stew I have to say. I'm known for my Sunday roasts more than anything really, which used to be lamb, roast potatoes, always Yorkshire pudding regardless of which roast it was (that comes from my father!). I don't do it now though because I live on my own and go to my daughter's instead.

Advice: listen to Nana, she's always right!!!

Maggiemaybe

I'm not altogether sure that Nanas do have so much more time now than busy mums and dads, Sherrie, with the pension age goalposts moving further and further away into the distance for many of us.....

But I want my little grandsons (in many years to come, of course!) to remember me with the same love you obviously have for your own Nana. What is your favourite memory of the time she spent with you?

I think you're possibly right, nanas don't have so much time now that pension age goal posts are moving but somehow we always find the time. I do, and I work 48 hours a day! But they always feature in any time I do have. I'm just about to go to Benidorm for 4 months and it will be very hard, but I will get back and I will see them.

I'm sure when you do have your little grandsons you will feel the same love I do towards mine and you'll enjoy every second. They give you something that's very hard to put down in words, but it's called unconditional love.

My favourite times with my nana were cooking, hence the book, because whether it was raining or sunny I sat with her on the worktop while she baked and felt safe and warm, and magically something would come out of the oven like a cake or a pie, and that's the same relationship I have with my grandchildren. And so will you.

bananatree

Hi Sherrie. Can you recommend any easy dishes to make with children? The thought of flour EVERYWHERE scares me.

They may not look it but they're very easy - lemon sherbet cakes. If you follow the recipe it's very easy and you'll impress everybody by the look of the cake when it comes out - everybody in the world will like it. They look impressive and I defy anyone not to be able to make them. That's what the book is about, it's just about being able to cook simply and quickly. And they'll be gone within minutes of taking them out of the oven.

Get a bag of flour and throw it all over your kitchen - you will never be scared again!

KatyK

Hi Sherrie. Do you eat what you cook? I have always wondered how you manage to stay so slim.

I do eat what I cook, but these days I eat a little less, so I'll have a smaller plate of food than I would have done a few years ago. I manage to stay the weight I am because my grandchildren keep me going 24 hours a day, so it's more to do with them than not eating. I do love my food and cooking, and whether we cook cakes or bread, I do eat it and so do the children. So I can only put it down to the exercise that they give me rather than not eating my own food!

humbug

I would love to know more about your celebrity masterchef experience and also whether it was that that gave you the impetus for the book?

Masterchef was absolutely terrifying. It was not only hard work but very stressful, you couldn't remember what you were doing though I'd done it a thousand times before. John and Greg come and talk to you the whole time you're supposed to be preparing the dish and you really want to tell them where to go!

The other thing is that you're actually on television. All in all I think it was the most stressful thing I've undertaken. Having said that I absolutely loved it and I was very sad to go out on a Caesar Salad! but I was very proud to get as far as I did. Had I gone further I think I might have exploded into tiny pieces over the kitchen.

It didn't give me the impetus for the book because I was so stressed out, I think the thought of cooking one more thing exhausted me so much that I didn't do into a kitchen for about a year! But i got over it, got back in the kitchen, but I do with I had gone further.

crumblegran

Hi Sherrie

I absolutely love Benidorm. Very sad not too see you and Squirrel live happily ever after.

I just wondered, do you feel there's a lot of ageism in TV at the moment. It seems to be there are fewer and fewer, great funny roles for older women? Madge is such good reminder that not all old people live up to the stereotype, do you think TV producers should do more to offer roles to older people?

Thank you, I'm thrilled that you love Benidorm, Joyce is a wonderful character to play and yes, Squirrel has disappeared again!

Interesting you should mention ageism on TV - that's exactly why I'm very passionate about Loose Women, because it isn't ageist at all. We have people from 20s up to their 60s and that's why it's a unique programme. I've been on it 11 years and I still believe it offers something for someone of every age.

I agree with you that Madge is a great character and a great reminder to people that you should live for today and that there should be no stereotypes. I do believe that television is now looking at ageism in TV more and there are more roles for older women being created. Hopefully that will carry on!

Thanks for your questions everyone! It was lovely to answer them.