Best Magazine UK: Suddenly Single

From our TV screens to panto season fav, Sam Kane tells the truth about marriage to Linda Lusardi

September 22, 2026·35 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

He’s been married for 28 years to one of the most successful Page 3 girls of all time, Linda Lusardi. Now both actors and panto season favourites, Sam opens up about their marriage, before he is joined by his wife to set the record straight on love, life – and the reason for their firm belief in psychic mediums. Sam reflects on growing up as the youngest of eight children in Liverpool, his early love of music, and the unlikely story of how his dad nearly became The Beatles’ driver. He shares how a packed audition at Pineapple Studios landed him his first musical role, before a successful career in Brookside, Coronation Street and Emmerdale. He also reveals the heartbreaking moment his mother died while he and Linda were on honeymoon, why family has always come first, and how the couple first met during a pantomime that changed both of their lives. The conversation turns to their remarkably strong marriage, why Sam believes no one ever really wins an argument, and the secret to staying happily together after nearly three decades. He also speaks candidly about playing controversial roles, the homophobic abuse he received after Brookside, and why taking on one of Coronation Street’s most notorious storylines was a risk worth taking. In one of the episode’s most emotional moments, Sam relives the terrifying experience of nearly losing Linda to Covid. He describes believing she had died in hospital, the extraordinary nurse who reunited them, and why that experience strengthened their shared belief in spirituality, psychic medium June Field and the possibility of life beyond death. Linda then joins the conversation for the Suddenly Single Honesty Box, where the couple reveal the secrets behind their enduring relationship, dating before apps, whether they’ve ever checked each other’s phones, their funniest dating disasters, favourite memories together, and why companionship becomes even more important than passion as the years go by. They also chat about family life, starring in separate pantomimes, their talented son Jack’s success in Miss Saigon, and why, after 28 years together, they’re still each other’s favourite person. Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Suddenly Single with Sam Kane 🎭 01:00 Growing up in Liverpool with seven siblings 02:10 Music, The Cavern Club & almost becoming a Beatle family 🎸 03:00 First auditions, musicals & breaking into showbusiness 03:40 Brookside, Linda Lusardi & an unforgettable honeymoon 05:10 How Sam and Linda first met in panto ❤️ 06:20 Playing soap villains & handling public backlash 08:20 Why working together kept their family together 09:10 The secret to 28 years of marriage 💕 10:00 Should couples fight harder to save relationships? 11:20 The terrifying moment Sam thought Linda had died 💔 13:30 Psychic mediums, spirituality & life after death ✨ 18:00 Chivalry, dating & modern relationships 19:40 The Suddenly Single Honesty Box 📦 21:30 Have they ever checked each other’s phones? 📱 23:20 Wedding day confessions & hilarious stories 😂 26:00 Passion or companionship? 27:00 Their best ever date ❤️ 30:00 Panto season, family life & Jack in Miss Saigon 🎭 33:00 Final thoughts & goodbye 👋 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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