Take Two ; Louise Redknapp Goes From Pop Star to Matchmaker in Her New Series

Summary

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Q: What's Farmer Wants A Wife about? Or is that a ridiculous question! A: In each episode, a romance-hungry farmer tries to find his ideal partner, with a little help from yours truly. The girls looked at the farmers on a website and then applied so they knew what they were getting into. We had more than 2,000 applicants. From there, the farmer is faced with four hopeful ladies, and must say goodbye to two. The remaining pair must then live on the farm for a week until the deadline arrives and the farmer makes his final choice. Q: So what's your role in it all? A: My role is to try and get some truth out of a situation. When there are three people - two women and one man - it's not that apparent who fancies who because they're very respectful of one another and won't say anything to upset the others. I had to speak to them all individually and find out what was really going on and basically get to the bottom of it all - you can only really get honest answers if you take someone to one side. I gave them a bit of advice as well, I sent one of them speed-dating in one of the episodes, things like that. There were also a few times when both girls fancied the farmer and were doing everything they could to be picked, and the farmer liked them both as well, so I really had to help him reach a decision. Q: Have you ever been a matchmaker before? A: I have as a matter of fact. I've got brothers and Jamie (Redknapp, her husband), of course, so I know a lot of guys through them, so my friends say things like, 'Come on, you must know someone for me', but I don't do it any more. I feel too guilty when they break up. They're heartbroken and I feel it's all my fault for introducing them.

Q: As a dyed-in-the-wool city girl and former pop star (Louise was in the band Eternal), did you like giving up life's little luxuries for time on the farm? A: It was brilliant for a weekend, but I have to say I missed shopping on Oxford Street! I like the city. But saying that, the farm Desmond in the show owns is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. He grows all this amazing organic fruit and veg and has an 18th century manor house. It's breathtaking. Q: You're a vegetarian, so it mst have been hard when the farmer sent his pigs off to slaughter. A: I couldn't be part of that at all, it was really tough, but I have to appreciate it's all part of farming. It was a consideration for the farmers too, they have to find girls who were OK with that sort of thing. I'm a real animal lover. I've left the series with a huge admiration for farmers.

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Take Two ; Louise Redknapp Goes From Pop Star to Matchmaker in Her New Series

Q: You presented the most recent incarnation of The Clothes Show. So...

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