Linda Lusardi, who joined Emmerdale in 2007 as Carrie Nicholls, has revealed the real reason her time on the soap was so short. Speaking on the Lewis Nicholls Life Stories podcast, she blamed a rule change implemented after Patsy Kensit's departure.
Short-Lived Role in Emmerdale
Lusardi was cast as Carrie Nicholls, the mother of Tom King's illegitimate daughter Scarlett. Her character arrived to cause trouble for the King family but left quickly after revealing she was Lexi Nicholls' mother, not sister. She then abandoned the toxic family and jetted off for a fresh start.
Weekend Off Request Denied
With her family based in London, Lusardi wanted weekends off to be with them. During contract renegotiations, she requested this flexibility, especially after her son cut his chin at school and she was not there to care for him. However, soap bosses refused. Lusardi said: 'I just thought I can’t do this anymore.'
She explained: 'It’s Patsy Kensit’s fault. Because they’d given her the weekends off because of the same reason, because she lived in London and she’s got kids and it caused so much animosity between the rest of the cast that they said never again. When she left, they said, we won’t ever do that again.'
Earlier Soap Roles and Modelling Career
Lusardi had previously appeared in Brookside and Hollyoaks. She also reflected on her modelling career, saying she may have pursued acting earlier if she had discovered it sooner. She added: 'I found acting late in life, though, and I may have made a career from it if I’d come to it earlier.'
No OnlyFans Career
Despite her early racy work, Lusardi ruled out joining OnlyFans, stating: 'It’s not something I would entertain. People can screenshot or film you and then it’s out there to haunt you for the rest of your life.'
