From Teletext...

Former Page Three girl Linda Lusardi is delighted to be back in The Bill after a three-year gap — but her kids aren't happy about her kissing scenes.

Lusardi, 45, who plays Maggie, girlfriend of crooked cop Don Beech (Billy Murray), tells TV Plus: "It was wonderful to go back and see everyone at Sun Hill again. The only thing is that I have to kiss Billy in the show and my kids Lucy and Jack don't like to see me or my husband Sam kissing other people."

She reappears at Sun Hill when Maggie helps Beech in his bid for freedom. Cop killer Beech has access to evidence that could nail dodgy Aussie policeman Cavanaugh (Peter O'Brien) so he's let out of prison to visit Maggie.

Lusardi says: "Maggie has a tape which can incriminate Cavanaugh and she's allowed 10 minutes with Beech to say goodbye. During that time they hatch an escape plan."

She has been in the TV limelight recently thanks to her appearance in Channel 4 reality show The Games and says she has received other offers of small-screen work, including fitness shows, since the programme ended last month.

Lusardi, who filmed her part in The Bill while she was in training for The Games, jokes: "I might have won The Games but The Bill interfered with my training. But I am hoping that I will return to Sun Hill in the future.

"I was more nervous about doing The Games than acting as that's just a case of learning your lines. The good thing about it is that it has raised my profile and given me a boost as I did well against people in their 20s."

Following The Games, Lusardi says she would do other reality shows, but draws the line at I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!

She says: "I would never say never but I don't think I would want to do something where you are just sitting round all day eating bugs. There has to be a purpose to it.

"At least with The Games I raised some money through my efforts for the Willow Foundation which helps seriously ill people aged between 16 and 40."

She is glad to be seeing more of actor hubby Sam Kane. They married in the mid-90s but Sam, best known as Brookside crimper Peter Phelan, has spent much of the last five years on tour in the musical Carousel.

Lusardi says: "He's just finishing and is taking time off. It's been a wrench having him away so much even though he's back most weekends. But we are both in the panto Snow White at Christmas in Woking."