Adjoa Andoh recalls hardship of not being able to meet her grandson for six months during pandemic as Bridgerton star shares her ‘delight’ over being a grandmother and importance of letting children ‘be true to who they are’

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Adjoa Andoh has expressed her happiness about becoming a grandmother. She also discussed the challenges of balancing work and raising her three children, explaining that she’s always focused on allowing them to be themselves.

As someone who’s navigated a bit of life, I’m a mom to three wonderful children – Liam and Daisy with my husband of 25 years, Howard, and my eldest, Jesse, from a previous relationship. And things got even sweeter in 2022 when Jesse welcomed her own little one, making me a grandma! It’s a full and joyful life, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

In a conversation with Jenni Murray on the Saga podcast, Experience is Everything, Adjoa shared her joy about her grandson, expressing how much she loves watching him grow and discover new things.

As a lifestyle expert, I often hear stories about the challenges families face, and this one really touched me. My daughter, Jesse, actually had her son, Luca, while living in Cambodia during the pandemic. It was such a difficult time, with all the travel restrictions, that I wasn’t able to meet my sweet grandson until he was six months old. It just highlights how much things changed for everyone during those years, and how precious those moments of connection are.

The actress explained that they’ve become very close since then and she really enjoys spending time with him.

I’m a grandmother, and I absolutely adore my grandson, Luca. My daughter and her husband were living in Cambodia – he was a deputy ambassador – and they found out they were expecting a baby during the lockdown. Unfortunately, travel restrictions meant he couldn’t return home, so Luca was born in Cambodia.

We weren’t able to spend time together for the first half of his first year, which was really difficult. But we’ve definitely made the effort to connect since then.

Adjoa continued, explaining that when her son was a toddler learning to walk up and down stairs, she would always practice with him.

I’d simply let him take the initiative, because I adore watching children that age. They’re so inquisitive and fascinated by everything around them – it’s a truly magical time. I almost feel like I’m absorbing their excitement and wonder.

Now, whenever Luca wants to do something – whether it’s going to the skate park, playing at the park, building with Lego, or just talking about his cars – I’m always happy to join him.

Adjoa shared that Luca first discovered his grandmother was a famous actress when he saw her reading stories on CBeebies Bedtime Stories, and that was when he realized who she was.

I remember one time, Jesse told me the kids were watching CBeebies, and I popped up reading a bedtime story! Apparently, all the actors really want to do those bedtime story readings – it’s a hugely popular gig, and honestly, it’s fantastic to be a part of it.

He once pointed to a picture and said, “That’s my Nana.” His teacher politely agreed, and later, when I picked him up from school, she mentioned he’d identified the person in the picture as his grandmother. I think that’s the only time he’s actually recognized me in a photo.

Adjoa loves being a grandmother, but she says raising her three children while working was incredibly difficult. She confessed to crying often and relying on her friends for emotional support, like therapy sessions.

She believed the most important part of raising children was helping them through difficult times, and allowing them to be their authentic selves.

She shared that it’s always been a team effort. The fathers of Jesse, Liam, and Daisy have been incredibly helpful and supportive, essentially acting as extra parents, so she’s never felt like she was handling everything alone.

I’ve been lucky to have wonderful friends who’ve helped with childcare over the years. It’s always been a challenge to balance everything, and it’s always required a lot of planning and coordination.

I’ve missed some school events like sports days and parent-teacher meetings, and I haven’t always been able to attend PTA activities either.

I believe I’ve learned to act like someone who has a talent, enjoys using it, and feels fulfilled because of it.

She admitted she hadn’t handled things well, explaining she’d cried a lot and relied heavily on her friends for emotional support.

Ultimately, I love my children very much and want them to grow into kind, successful people.

Just be there for them through the challenges, and remember they were born with their own unique personalities. Our job is simply to keep them safe and prevent serious mistakes.

It’s important to understand who people are and then encourage them to live authentically, staying true to themselves throughout their lives.

I believe each of my children is an individual with their own unique talents and difficulties. It’s important to recognize what makes each child special and give them the support and attention they require.

She jokingly added that new mothers need to accept they’ll likely face more criticism than anyone else, because that’s just part of motherhood.

Adjoa is a strong public advocate for the trans community. She demonstrated this by participating in London protests in April against the Supreme Court’s decision to exclude trans women from the legal definition of ‘woman’.

She’s been very public about her experience raising her transgender son, Liam, who shared as a teenager that he felt like a boy inside a girl’s body. She has also strongly criticized people who express prejudice against transgender individuals, noting the tragically high rate of suicide among transgender youth, which she attributes to this prejudice.

In a 2022 interview with Red Magazine, the Invictus Games participant stated she hopes all of her children will succeed and be happy, regardless of whether they are boys or girls.

She advised me to think before speaking, explaining that young transgender people are at a much higher risk of self-harm and suicide.

Why are we building a society where people feel so rejected and unacceptable that they see no option but to end their lives?

She explained that, to her, being a parent means raising your child to be a good person, protecting them from harm, and teaching them to treat others with kindness. As a mother, she simply wants all children to succeed – it’s a natural instinct.

During the podcast, Adjoa discussed the worldwide popularity of Bridgerton and what drew her to the role of Lady Danbury, a character beloved by fans. She’s played Lady Danbury throughout all four seasons of the show and in the spin-off, Queen Charlotte.

She remembered reading about the character Danbury and immediately feeling a connection. She felt she could really work with the character because Danbury reminded her of the women she knew and loved – her grandmothers, her mother, and close friends.

I simply adored her – a woman who embraced life to the fullest and always managed to look amazing while doing it.

Acknowledging Shonda Rhimes’ talent as a masterful storyteller, she admitted they didn’t fully grasp how impactful streaming services would become back then.

The actor believes the show became incredibly popular so quickly, in part because it was released on Christmas Day in 2020. This timing coincided with the height of the pandemic, when many people were feeling sick, scared, unemployed, and alone.

She described how, on Christmas Day, a captivating new trend emerged, urging people to put aside what they were doing and dive into the world of Regency romance. It was presented as something truly special and exciting.

We’re aiming for a really vibrant and visually striking presentation, complete with a string quartet performing Ariana Grande songs. Plus, it will be diverse and explore themes of intimacy and connection.

I believe it was a new and significant distraction for people at a time when they were really looking for support.

I was so thrilled to hear Adjoa confirm that season five of Bridgerton is definitely on its way! She didn’t give away any details, but she did say the best thing – that the cast and crew really feel like a family. It’s amazing to think they’ve all practically grown up together working on the show, and that’s what makes it so special, at least to me!

She shared that she and a fellow cast member had discussed how they don’t spend all their time together. They all have their own separate lives when they’re not working on the show.

It’s nice to have a family you consistently reconnect with. You get to hear about what everyone’s been up to and share what’s been happening in your own life.

I’ve been watching Will and Flora Bridgerton since the very beginning, and it’s amazing to see how much they’ve changed! If you look back at photos from season one, they were just kids! Now, they’re both over 18, navigating things like drinking and relationships. Honestly, it feels like we’ve all grown up alongside them, and it’s been a really special journey to witness.

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2026-02-24 20:21