Copyright ok
Melanie Blake is being hailed as the new “queen of the bonkbuster” – and she couldn’t be more delighted at the accolade, particularly as it originally belonged to one of her idols, the late great Jilly Cooper. The celebrity talent agent has represented some of the biggest names in TV. For 25 years she represented Emmerdale ’s Claire King, Coronation Street ’s Beverley Callard, Dynasty ’s Stephanie Beacham and Holby City ’s Patsy Kensit. She even returned Danniella Westbrook to EastEnders . But Melanie has decided to hang up her talent agent hat for good, to focus on her global success as a best-selling author. Her explosive new novel, Vengeful Women – one of the much-loved, internationally best-selling Falcon Bay sagas – looks set to continue in the vein of previous tomes, full of the now expected doses of raunch, revenge, treachery and even murder. Here, Melanie, 49, as ballsy and straight-talking in real life as her no-holds-barred characters, opens up about the tough childhood that made her determined to succeed, celebrity encounters that have left a bad taste in her mouth and how she’s feeling about turning 50… Melanie, how do you feel about being called the “new queen of the bonkbuster”? It’s lovely – a true honour. Especially because when my first book hit the bestseller charts, Dame Jilly Cooper sent me a card saying, “Welcome to the bonking club.” I was gobsmacked! And I was so sad to hear of Jilly’s death. Those original queens – Jilly, Jackie Collins, Shirley Conran – changed my life. I was a dyslexic child and my teachers wrote me off as a “thick no-hoper”. Then I discovered our local library’s adult section, and those glamorous, outrageous women’s books taught me that there was another life out there, and if I wanted it, I could have it. I can’t quite believe I’m the last one standing, but if it’s my turn to wear the bonkbuster crown, I’ll do it proudly and keep their legacy alive – because if it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be here. Tell us about the inspiration behind your latest novel Vengeful Women … I wanted to write something that provided pure escapism – and a glimpse behind the scenes. Vengeful Women is set on a glamorous soap on the edge of cancellation, filmed on a supposedly idyllic island called St Augustine’s Cove. It might look like paradise, but behind the scenes it’s secrets, sex, sabotage and scandal. The five women who run the soap will stop at nothing to save their show. With a courtroom showdown, a serial killer and a jaw-dropping twist, it’s the wildest thing I’ve written – but my readers know that my books are as close to the truth as they’ll get. The juiciest scandals never happen on screen – they happen in the dressing rooms, hotel bars and award- show loos. I’ve seen it all – drunks, divas, cheaters, blackmailers. In my books, the names are changed, but the sins are the same. You’ve hinted before at some explosive real-life encounters. What really happened? Oh, there have been too many to mention – and if I listed them here, most of the women would end up seeing me in court. An example was the one whose career I helped revive when I took her on, but she later got her contract renewed, cutting me out of the loop. That betrayal was the final straw for me. In my experience, the most toxic people on TV are usually the women being horrible to each other, although that’s not to say the men aren’t bad. And you’ve decided to retire from talent management now… For 25 years, it was fabulous. The money was mad, the parties wild and the women were legends. In the golden years of the 2000s, I changed the face of agenting by putting older women to the fore and fighting for them to stay in their jobs. I’m proud I helped fight ageism and get them the spotlight they deserved. Then lockdown gave me time to write the book that changed my life. After years building other women’s careers, I realised it was time to take the starring role in my own story. You’ve spoken about having faced dark times… I’ve been broke, homeless and humiliated. I’ve slept on friends’ floors and I’ve wondered how to afford the bus fare home. But I’ve also s**gged rock stars and been called a genius by my idols. You don’t get the diamonds without the dirt. When was the moment you realised you had made it as a best-selling author? My first book The Thunder Girls did well but didn’t make waves – but while I was doing the interviews for it, journalists kept asking if I’d ever thought about writing a bonkbuster. Eventually, I did just that, and when Ruthless Women was published, I finally understood how it felt to be a successful author. It went straight in at No4 on The Sunday Times bestsellers chart. It stayed in the charts for 25 weeks and went into 10 languages, and then I found myself on magazine covers, often next to celebs I represented. Everything before that moment in my career was carefully planned. Since then, life has been an unexpected roller coaster. How would you describe your upbringing and how it shaped the woman you are today? We were dirt poor. I was bullied at school, neglected by my parents. My childhood and schooling was hell, but it gave me a drive to succeed. But I don’t like to dwell on the past. I fled to London aged 17 determined to make it by any means possible... And I did. You’re 50 next year. How do you feel about that? I don’t think about it, because age is just a number and I am not defined by it. My face doesn’t recognise that number either, thanks to Harley Street! My mum died at 54, so I don’t take time for granted. I plan to make every year count, and look bloody good doing it. I do every type of skincare, I have a facial every week, exfoliate every day, and use specialist moisturisers. I have fillers too, but keep it subtle. I don’t smoke, drink much or ever go in the sun, those are the key things for good skin. So, what’s left to achieve? Plenty! My life’s just getting started. I’ve had Hollywood offers for two books and I’ve directed a major documentary. I’ve also just launched my own publishing house, Piranha Publishing, to give a home to authors like me: storytellers with real-life experience who have been told that the traditional industry is “not for the likes of us”. My books are surprisingly popular in Australia, and I’d like to explore life over there in some way. I’m ready for a new chapter. Jilly Cooper would say that she wanted to stay “on top”. As for me, I want to head “down under”. Is there a motto you live by? Be better, not bitter. Jealous people bring only negativity. If you want what someone else has, go and get it yourself. Vengeful Women is out on 6 November. Pre-order a limitedspecial edition hardback, on Amazon while stocks last
