Wild At Heart Lucy-Jo Hudson: 'I missed this place so much'

TV Times magazine talks to Wild at Heart and former Coronation Street star Lucy-Jo Hudson about Rosie Trevanion’s return to the wild...

It must be great to be back in Wild at Heart...
“I’m really chuffed. I absolutely love being here. I was sad to leave even though it was the right choice at the time.”

What brings Rosie back?
“Her family is very dysfunctional at the minute, with everyone in their own little world, plus they’ve lost Leopard’s Den. Caroline needs some back up and phones Rosie...”

We’ve heard Rosie is harbouring a secret...
“It’s revealed pretty soon on her return, that’s all I can say!”

We last saw Rosie and her husband, Max, moving to Cape Town so she could study veterinary medicine. How’s the course going?
“She has a year left until she’s a qualified vet. But she knows what she’s doing and this series proves that as she’s full on with all the animals – which I love! I darted a cheetah yesterday – you should have seen me in action!”

Has filming out here lost any of its magic over the years?
“Not at all. It’s still there, in fact more so when I came back. I’ve missed this place so much.”

Is it hard relocating your life for so long?
“It’s weird, but because I’m here to work and we work such long hours – six-day weeks, 12-hour days with Sunday off to chill – that the four months go quite fast. I so love being here that I just embrace it all."

Will your family be visiting you?
“Al [Lucy-Jo’s husband, Coronation Street star Alan Halsall] is coming out... He’s not had the chance yet because he’s been busy at work. My dad will probably come out again too. Even though they’ve been before, there are new animals on set so we’ll definitely do a game drive."

Apart from Alan, is there anything else you miss about the UK?
"Yes, the fact that you don’t have the freedom to just get in the car and go. We are in South Africa, so we have to be careful of that. You can’t go anywhere unless you’re driven."