The uptight alpha mum of Motherland is back - but things aren't quite as they were for entitled Amanda.
In spin-off Amandaland, the divorced mum-of-two is dating, she's downsized to a flat in a less salubrious part of London and her children, Manus and Georgie, have swapped private school for state school.
"Amanda is now living in an upper-level flat, with someone below her, which is a hard pill to swallow," says Lucy Punch, who plays the title character. "She's moved away from Queen's Park and all its treats, such as Gail's. The kids are now in high school, and Amanda is starting over. She's probably had a quiet breakdown. She's disintegrated somewhat but has galvanised herself, got a blowdry, done her nails, bought a new outfit, and is bringing her full Amanda energy to South Harlesden. She's trying to recreate what she had but realises it's impossible without the house, clothes or husband. Despite this, she's doing her best and doing a pretty good job."
In Motherland, Amanda was the undisputed villain, taking advantage of her friend Anne and unashamedly crowing over her kids' minor achievements.
But when Amanda's caustic mum Felicity arrived on the scene, viewers began to understand Amanda's attempts to present herself as the 'leader mum'.
Lucy, 47, explains, "We saw that behind the perfect façade was a rather damaged, vulnerable woman. Now, we see her scrambling - not just because she's used to a different life - but because it's genuinely hard to raise two teenagers alone, work and navigate a new place while making new friends.".
This story is from the February 03, 2025 edition of New UK.
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This story is from the February 03, 2025 edition of New UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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