Luisa Zissman's daughter Indigo has refused to go back to school after her mother's scathing podcast rant about her school play was seen by the girl's teachers and classmates, the 39-year-old former Apprentice star has revealed.
Zissman issued a public apology on the latest episode of her podcast, LuAnna, after discovering that the fallout from her comments had reached her nine-year-old daughter directly.
How Indigo found out
Zissman said Indigo confronted her after a friend's mother spotted a clip on Instagram, showed it to her daughter, and the news made its way back to Indigo at school. Indigo asked her mother whether she had said her play was bad, and Zissman said she responded by noting that Indigo did not have a main part.
Indigo then told her mother she could not show her face at school again and said it was fortunate the family was due to travel back to Dubai, because the teachers had all watched the clip.
The original rant
The controversy began when Zissman told listeners of her podcast, co-hosted with Anna Williamson, that she was not planning to attend her daughter's school production of Mary Poppins. She said Indigo had a non-speaking ensemble role, the venue had no air conditioning, and she had a full day of work commitments including an early morning conference call and content to film.
Zissman also said her nanny had attended and reported back that the show was not worth the trip. She added that she was not interested in going unless Indigo had a main part, and separately revealed she had skipped her other daughter Clemmie's woodwind recital because she dislikes the sound of the instrument.
Public apology
On the follow-up episode, Zissman said her rant was probably a bit aggressive in its tone and directed an apology to the school's teachers, acknowledging that they work hard and that the quality of the performances was not their fault. She said she had been very stressed at the time.
She also clarified in comments online that she did attend the play, staying for ten minutes before leaving to take work calls at a nearby Costa Coffee and returning at the end of the show.
Online reaction
Zissman's original comments drew a sharp response from other parents online. Several said that a child's school performance matters not because of its quality but because of what it means to the child to see a parent in the audience. Others said that work commitments could be managed around such events and that missing them leaves a lasting impression on children.
Not everyone was critical. Love Island series one winner Cara Delahoyde responded with laughing emojis, and some commenters said Zissman had voiced what many parents privately feel about lengthy school productions and sports days.
Zissman is married to Andrew Collins. The couple share daughters Esme, 10, and Clemmie, nine. She is also mother to Dixie, 16, from her first marriage to Oliver Zissman.
