Brimming with paternal pride, LBC radio host and former UK tennis No. 1 Andrew Castle is every bit the doting dad as he joins his daughter, West End star Georgina, for our exclusive interview and photoshoot ahead of her leading role in the smash-hit festive musical Elf.
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"I'm full of admiration for her and love listening to her sing," says the sports presenter, who, with Georgina's mum Sophia, has watched every production she’s performed in.
His daughter has starred in musicals such as Mamma Mia!, 9 to 5 and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella, and will play Jovie, the girl whom Buddy the elf falls in love with, when Elf opens this month.
Andrew and Georgina are very close
So it’s something of a role reversal for Andrew, who used to take centre stage on the tennis court, where Georgina would watch him deliver winning shots. "My family have never faltered in their support," says Georgina, 29, who has a younger sister, Claudia.
"They’re front and centre in the audience at every show I’ve done. Dad has always told me: 'This too shall pass,' and although it didn’t seem like it at the time, I've since discovered he's right," she says.
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"My horrible break-up happened around the same time as Cinderella closing. Then I lost the apartment I’d fallen in love with. It was crushing."
From the glow of happiness that now surrounds Georgina, she's in a far better place in every aspect of her life – and she reveals to HELLO! why.
Georgina was delighted to land the role of Jovie in Elf
Not only is she embarking on a magical new role in Elf, she has a new boyfriend, entrepreneur Amit Pradhan, 47, whom she has been dating for eight months. The couple have recently moved in together in London. "We really like him, he’s a lovely bloke," says Andrew.
It was Amit who helped Georgina create an audition tape for Elf, acting out scenes from the show in which Buddy first meets Jovie, asks her on a date, and falls in love.
There are equally festive plans in the pipeline for Georgina, who turns 30 just before Christmas. "I feel very excited about it,” she says. "We’ll celebrate my birthday with a quiet meal because I need to be rested for Elf, and then I’ll spend Christmas with my family. This year will be even more special because of my one-year-old nephew Louis."
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