A former Loose Women panellist has spilled the beans on why she left the hit ITV show, revealing her husband's plea for her to step down.
Celebrated opera singer Lesley Garrett, who has serenaded royalty including King Charles and the late Queen during her impressive 45-year career, is also known for her stints on television favourites like Strictly Come Dancing and Loose Women.
After sharing her views on the daytime talk show for four years, Lesley has now disclosed that it was her husband, Peter Christian, a GP by profession, who influenced her decision to leave.
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"[It's] the only time he's ever asked me to stop doing something," she told the Daily Mail.
"He said, 'At the surgery I've got ten minutes with each patient. And eight minutes is taken up with what you've said the day before. I'm worried I'm going to misdiagnose somebody, so please could you stop?'"
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It is not the first time Lesley expressed her family's fears about her time on the topical programme. In 2011, she said her parents asked her to "give it a rest" for a while.
"My mum and dad said, 'Do you think you could just give it a rest for a bit because we can't go down the shops at the moment without somebody saying, 'What have you been up to?'"
Despite the pressure, Lesley admitted, "But I enjoy it so much on the show. It's the best fun you can ever have."
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Now at 70, Lesley is gearing up for her summer concert, leaving fans to wonder if this performance might be the last chance for fans to see her.
Speaking to the Sunday Express, Lesley hinted at hanging up her microphone soon to enjoy a quieter life with her partner in the south of France.
On the topic of retirement, she remarked: "I do think about retiring, because I don't want to go on when I'm not as good as I was."
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Lesley said: "I want to quit while I'm ahead. I don't want to carry on past my sell-by date. My voice is changing, as voices do. It's still beautiful in the middle, but I can't get as high as I used to."
She explained: "Every season I think could be my last. This one I seriously think could be my last year, because I am 70 and it seems like a very round number – I've been doing this for exactly 45 years."
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If Lesley decides to retire, she acknowledges that members of the Royal Family might miss her performances.
Reflecting on Royal engagements, the South Yorkshire-born vocalist shared: "I have sung for King Charles and met him several times. I sang for both the King and Queen recently.
"I really enjoy it, I think they do a great job. Their duty to the country is something that is very important to them. The King is very knowledgeable about opera and classical music in general, and the Duchess of Gloucester is very interested too. I've sung for her several times."
