Book description
Elaine Lordan is well-known to millions as EastEnders' Lynne
Slater. Yet the real-life heartache and loss she came to suffer
eclipsed even the rollercoaster troubles of her TV character. After
leaving the show, Elaine lost her beloved mother when she took her
life under a train. Then later that same year, just two days after her
wedding, Elaine lost James, her one-year-old son and only child, to a
rare condition.
Whatever It Takes is the story of a no-nonsense working-class
girl who hit the big time and enjoyed several happy years as one of
the nation's favourite soap stars. Things took a downward turn as her
heavy drinking and affair with a married man led to her being hounded
by the press. Yet Pete would become the love of her life and together
they would experience the unfathomable joy of having a child. This
flush of happiness was short-lived, though, as Elaine felt the full
impact of her mother's death, while her son James battled for life. It
wasn't long before family life revolved around the hospital - hoping
for the best, but fearing the worst.
Full of larger-than-life characters from her boisterous Irish family
and close circle of north London friends, Elaine tells her story with
heart-wrenching candour. In this life-affirming memoir of overcoming
tragedy, we see how Elaine's indomitable spirit and innate humour have
carried her through even the bleakest moments, and how one woman's
'sink or swim' approach has ensured her survival.
Elaine Lordan was born and brought up in Islington, north London. As
a child, she became a member of the nearby Anna Scher Theatre. Her first
professional job, at the age of twelve, was in the West End production
of the musical
Annie
. For the next twenty years she worked extensively on the stage, and
also in feature films and on TV. In 2000 she joined the cast of
EastEnders
, playing the part of Lynne Slater. She left the show in 2004, and
appeared again on TV the following year in
I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out
of Here!
Elaine continues to live in Islington, with her husband.
