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Updated: November 01, 2001 21:10 |
(TV Guide magazine article - July 22nd 1989) She of the posh accent, crinkly hair and girlish features appeared to be the sport's golden hope. Then came the tearful exits off court and hefty does of hypertension, hoemsickness and recurring nightmares in which terrorists would invade the court; resulting in psychiatric treatment, a near-breakdown and months of rest. Her parents, she says, supported her decision to quit. "It was the right move. It had to come to and end and I'd been playing tennis half my life. I don't regret giving up. Even Mum helped me make that decision. Dad's always been very business-like about things and he tells me what he thinks is best. I've always stuck by his word." |
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At 21, she was finished. Now, thanks to her inoffensive good looks and jolly hockey sticks exuberance, she has become the girl who lollops her way across the country on TV programmes that consist of alarming amounts of fresh air, engergy and a helicopter chucked in for good measure. Once stranded on a Sri Lankan island for a Network 7 item ("great fun, a good laugh") and filling Anneka Rice's shoes on Treasure Hunt ("such fun to make"), it seems Croft has struck lucky. "I'd just given up tennis and Treasure Hunt came completely out of the blue. Obviously its hard because Anneka Rice was very popular, but it's the sort of programme that can run with whoever is taking that position because it's such a strong format. |
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