Linda Rands
Linda Rands | |
|---|---|
| Born | Linda C. Rands 1953 (age 71–72) Westminster, London, England |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Television | Rigoletto The Traitors |
| Spouse |
David Grimwood
(m. 1980; div. 1982) |
| Children | 1 |
Linda C. Rands (born 1953) is an English television personality and retired opera singer. After training at the Royal Academy of Music, she joined the English National Opera and appeared in their production of Rigoletto (1982). She came to prominence after appearing as contestant on the third series of The Traitors in 2025.
Life and career
[edit]Linda C. Rands was born in 1953 in Westminster, London to Kenneth Rands and his wife Cynthia (née Childs).[1][2] She trained at the Royal Academy of Music and the London Opera Centre, before spending seven years performing with the English National Opera during which time she appeared in a production of Rigoletto (1982).[3][4] Following this, she relocated to Amsterdam, Netherlands where she joined the Dutch National Opera of which she was a part of for thirteen years, before joining the Netherlands Radio Chorus.[2] In 1980, Rands married Paul Grimwood, a fireman. Their, son Paul Jr, was born the same year.[2][5] They divorced eighteen months later, however remained friends until the former's death.[6][7] In 2020, Rands returned to the United Kingdom, in order to be nearer to her son and grandchildren, and currently resides in Hitchin, Hertfordshire.[2][8]
In January 2025, Rands appeared as a contestant on the third series of the BBC reality show The Traitors.[9][10] During the first episode, Rands was selected to become one of three traitors alongside Armani Gouveia and Minah Shannon.[11] Despite attracting early suspicion from her fellow contestants, and although she received numerous votes at several round tables, she progressed to the seventh episode of the show, before she was ultimately banished from the castle.[12] Rands gained popularity on social media for her comical "acting skills" throughout the series and was branded an "icon" by viewers.[13] She was described by Grazia as the "standout star" of the series and subsequently appeared on a billboard in Leicester Square praising her for the "performance of a lifetime".[14][15][5] Following her departure from the show, she made appearances on the spin-off The Traitors: Uncloaked, as well as The One Show and Morning Live.[16]
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Rigoletto | Secretary | Opera singer | [17] |
| 2025 | The Traitors | Traitor | Contestant; series 3 | [18] |
| 2025 | The Traitors: Uncloaked | Herself | Guest; 1 episode | [19] |
| 2025 | The One Show | Herself | Guest; 1 episode | [20] |
| 2025 | Morning Live | Herself | Guest; 1 episode | [21] |
References
[edit]- ^ "Linda C. Rands". freeBMD. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ a b c d "BBC Three Counties Radio - BBC Three Counties Radio, Linda from The Traitors reveals her secret weapon". BBC. 17 January 2025. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ "The Traitors fans think they've uncovered an 'iconic' performance from Linda's opera days". Hello. 13 January 2025. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ Croal, Nicola (14 January 2025). "The Traitors fans believe they've uncovered old footage of Linda's opera singing". Daily Record. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ a b "The Traitors' Linda: 'I'm Usually A Good Liar!'". Grazia. 17 January 2025. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ Malia, Emily (15 January 2025). "Life of The Traitors' Linda from opera career to viral moment". Daily Record.
- ^ Malia, Emily (15 January 2025). "The Traitors 'icon' Linda's life - from opera singing to giant billboard". Wales Online. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ "Hertfordshire's Linda banished from The Traitors". Watford Observer. 16 January 2025. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ "The Traitors Series 3 Contestants - Meet the players joining Claudia Winkleman in the castle". BBC Media Centre. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ "Meet The Traitors season 3 cast". Cosmopolitan. 2 January 2025. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ "The Traitors airs shock murder twist after Armani banishment". Digital Spy. 8 January 2025. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ "The Traitors star Linda breaks silence on show exit". Digital Spy. 16 January 2025. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ Malia, Emily (15 January 2025). "BBC The Traitors 'icon' Linda's life off-screen and opera career". Bristol Live. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ "Acting experience "didn't help" save Traitors star". BBC News. 16 January 2025. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ "Traitors' Linda gets Leicester Square billboard award". BBC News. 11 January 2025. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ "Traitors: Wedding guests had no idea traitor was among them". BBC News. 17 January 2025. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ King, Danni (16 January 2025). "BBC The Traitors' Linda Rands' singing clip resurfaces after star's exit". Cornwall Live. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ "Who is Linda? Meet The Traitors season 3 contestant & retired opera singer | Radio Times". Radio Times. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ "The Traitors: Uncloaked - Traitors Series 3: Episode 7". BBC iPlayer. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ "The One Show - 16/01/2025". BBC iPlayer. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ "Morning Live - Series 6: 17/01/2025". BBC iPlayer. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
External links
[edit]- Linda Rands at IMDb