Donna Air reveals why she put parenting first as she returns to acting

Donna Air has revealed she made the decision to put her acting career on hold to focus on being a single mum.

The 40-year-old former TV star - who rose to fame as a child in kids TV series Byker Grove alongside Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly - is making her acting comeback in BBC legal drama The Split.

Air told ITV’s This Morning: “I think as women, all of us, who have families and work, we sometimes have to keep reinventing our stuff, being very adaptable and coming up with things that work around our family. And yes, I’ve always loved acting, it’s very much my first passion, but being a single mum as well, I couldn’t just always go off and do a role in the desert for seven months or just go to America. So, I chose to find other work and do other projects, so I could be home with her [her daughter] and I think that’s really paid off now.”

Read more: Donna Air is open to having more children

The actress has a 16-year-old daughter Freya with businessman Damian Aspinall. They were together for seven years before they split in 2007.

Air has had a few small movie roles since becoming a mother and in 2010 made a cameo in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks. In 2018 she competed in Dancing On Ice.

Speaking about her daughter she said: “They do grow up very quick, but I do feel like I can start putting myself first again, doing lots of projects that I enjoy because my daughter, I think more than anyone, is quite keen to get me out. She’s like, ‘Where’s that job? How far away? Awesome!’ She’s encouraging jobs in the desert, miles away.”

Read more: Donna Air escapes fraud charges by claiming to be an airhead

Air, who made an attempt on the UK pop charts in the early 90s, vowed she will never try and revive her music career.

She said: “I can guarantee, I’ll make a promise now, you’ll never see me singing ever again!”

The new series of The Split returns to BBC One on Tuesday February 11 2020.