Amanda Redman admits painful death of Lynda Bellingham taught her to ‘go for it’

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Amanda Redman has revealed how the death of close friend Lynda Bellingham impacted her life

The 59-year-old actress revealed that losing Lynda, as well as her mother, back in 2014, was the wake up call she needed as she confessed that she has since learnt to "grab life with both hands".

Opening up to Good Housekeeping about her heartbreaking losses – which happened within just a day of one another – Amanda explained: "Lynda died the day before my mother in 2014. I couldn't believe it. It just seemed to me to be utterly extraordinary.

"It really did occur to me then that you have to grab life with both hands and just go for it. You can't let things get you down. In the great scheme of things, don't sweat the small stuff, because it really doesn't matter."

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Amanda told Good Housekeeping that she 'no longer sweats the small stuff'

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Amanda lost her good friend and fellow actress Lynda just a day before losing her mother

It really did occur to me then that you have to grab life with both hands and just go for it.

Amanda Redman

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While she might be approaching her 60th birthday this summer, Amanda insisted that she is vivacious as ever, though the prospect of reaching her milestone has inevitably ignited her fear of "waving goodbye".

She dished: “I’m more tired than I used to be and going to the gym is harder. Who likes that? But I adore life. There is so much more I want to do and see.

"When I turned 40, my mother very wisely said it’s better than turning 50! And so it goes on. So I have to keep reminding myself. It’s better than turning 70, 80… Because it becomes closer to waving goodbye – and I don’t want to wave goodbye.”

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Amanda also admitted that she and husband Damian Schnabel are more loved up than ever

Lynda Bellingham life in pictures 1948-2014
Mon, October 20, 2014

Lynda Bellingham has died from cancer at the age of 66.

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Lynda Bellingham death

You can read Amanda's full interview in the upcoming issue of Good Housekeeping [GOOD HOUSEKEEPING]

The Good Karma Hospital star added: "When I was young, I remember an actress of 39 telling me to make the most of it because when you get to my age, you won’t have the roles. That barrier has been pushed – so now I’d say from 55 onwards is tricky.

"Probably up until the time you’re in your late 60s, when different types of roles come along. But during that period, there is a lost decade.”

And it isn't just Amanda's career that is continue to prosper into her sixties, as the blonde beauty admitted her love life is just as flourishing as ever.

Speaking about her husband Damian Schnabel – to whom she has been married for the past seven years – she gushed: "[Damian] is the most romantic man I’ve ever met. When I came back from filming in Sri Lanka, he had filled every room in the house with flowers.

"He will take me on surprise holidays and breaks to the most beautiful places. When I was living in Spain, he brought out Tupperware with food from my favourite Indian takeaway! He put it all in his suitcase for me."

Read the full Amanda Redman interview in the March 2017 issue of Good Housekeeping, on sale 1st February. Also available as a digital edition.

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