My neighbour Sharon was round for coffee last week, moaning about her teenager wanting to be an influencer. “Whatever happened to proper careers?” she said. Got me thinking about Lucy Bolam, actually.
Most people have never heard of her. Which is mad, considering her dad is James Bolam, you know, Terry from The Likely Lads. But Lucy? She’s done something much cleverer than chasing fame. She’s built a proper life away from all that nonsense.
She Could Have Taken the Easy Route
Born in 1977, Lucy grew up watching her parents work on telly. Her mum, Susan Jameson, is brilliant too and has been in everything from Doctor Who to Emmerdale. Easy money would have been following them into acting, wouldn’t it?
But no. Lucy looked at all that and thought, “Not for me, thanks.” Takes guts, that. Especially when casting directors probably would have snapped her up just for her surname.
I’ve always respected people who walk away from easy options. My cousin did something similar; his dad owned a successful garage, but he became a teacher instead. Said he wanted to earn his own way. Same energy as Lucy Bolam, I reckon.
What She Actually Does (And Why It Matters)
This is where Lucy gets really interesting. Instead of red carpets and premieres, she went into health and wellness. Proper meaningful work. Not the Instagram-friendly type of wellness either; the real kind that actually helps people.
She’s involved in education, too, from what I can gather. Teaching, supporting students, that sort of thing. My sister’s a teacher and always says it’s the most rewarding job in the world, even when the pay’s rubbish and parents drive you mental.
Lucy seems to have found that sweet spot, which is work that pays the bills but also feeds your soul. How many people can say that? Most of us are stuck in jobs we tolerate just to keep the mortgage paid.
The Privacy Thing Is Actually Genius
Here’s something that really winds me up about modern life. Everyone thinks they need to share everything online. Had a sandwich? Better Instagram it. Went for a walk? Time for a selfie. Lucy Bolam has completely opted out of this madness.
There were no Twitter rants and no oversharing on social media. There were no “my truth” interviews in glossy magazines. She’s just getting on with her life like a normal person. A revolutionary concept these days, isn’t it?
My teenage niece reckons this makes Lucy “irrelevant”. I think it makes her smart. Fame’s a double-edged sword. Ask any celebrity who can’t pop to Tesco without being photographed looking rough.
Family Dynamics That Actually Work
James Bolam has been in the business for decades. You’d think that might create pressure for his kids to follow suit. But the Bolams seem to have their heads screwed on properly.
I met someone at a pub quiz in Newcastle who’d worked with James years ago. He said he was “sound as a pound” and talked about his family with genuine pride, not the showbiz fake stuff. That tells you something about how they raised Lucy.
Good parents want their kids to be happy, not famous. Sounds like James and Susan got that memo early on.
Why We Need More People Like Lucy
This might sound daft, but Lucy Bolam gives me hope for humanity. In a world where everyone’s desperately trying to be the next big thing, she’s chosen to be useful instead.
She’s proving you can come from privilege and not waste it on pointless celebrity nonsense. She’s using whatever advantages she has to actually contribute something worthwhile to society.
My daughter’s at university now, constantly worried about her “personal brand” and LinkedIn profile. I keep telling her to look at people like Lucy Bolam. Build skills, help people, live well. The rest is just noise.
The Health and Wellness Angle
What I find fascinating about Lucy’s career choice is the timing. She got into health and wellness before it became trendy. Before every reality TV star started flogging protein powder and meditation apps.
She saw something important: that people need genuine support with their wellbeing, not just pretty Instagram quotes. That’s proper forward-thinking.
The wellness industry’s full of charlatans now. People are selling miracle cures and expensive supplements. Having someone with Lucy’s background and education in the field means there are still some decent people trying to help genuinely.
Personal Thoughts on Celebrity Kids
I’ll be honest, and I can say this: most celebrity children annoy me. They seem to think being born to famous parents makes them interesting. Lucy Bolam’s completely different. She’s made herself interesting through her choices and work.
That takes character. Real character. Anyone can be famous for being famous these days. Building a meaningful career when you could coast on your family name? That’s rare.
My mate Harry always says, “You can tell someone’s true character by what they do when no one’s watching.” Lucy’s spent years doing good work with no fanfare. That’s character right there.
What Makes Her Special
Lucy Bolam isn’t trying to be special. That’s what makes her special. She’s just a woman doing her job, helping people, living quietly. In today’s attention-seeking world, that’s actually radical.
She’s shown that success doesn’t need to be loud. It doesn’t need red carpets or magazine covers. Sometimes the most successful people are the ones you’ve never heard of, quietly making their corner of the world a bit better.
The fact that most people don’t know about Lucy’s work doesn’t make it less valuable. If anything, it makes it more so. She’s doing it because it matters, not because it gets her noticed.
The Bottom Line
Lucy Bolam proves that being born into fame doesn’t mean you have to live your entire life in the spotlight. She’s chosen substance over celebrity, helping people over helping herself to attention.
That’s admirable, that is. In a world where everyone wants to be famous, she’s chosen to be useful instead. We could do with a few million more people like her, honestly.
