Luisa Zissman, a reality television personality, has drawn criticism for expressing her intention to skip her daughter's school play, citing the child's minor role as a reason for not attending. Zissman, 38, stated that her daughter's 'non-speaking ensemble role' in a production of Mary Poppins was not worth her time, especially given her busy work schedule.
During an episode of her podcast, "LuAnna" with co-host Anna Williamson, Zissman revealed her initial plan to miss the play. "I'm not fing going because she's got a s*y ensemble part, there's no air con in there, it's a non-speaking part and I'm not going," she said. She explained that her day was heavily scheduled with a conference call, podcast recording, and further content filming. Zissman also mentioned that her nanny attended the play and described it as "s**t."
She further elaborated, "All she does is sing in a s*y bonnet and it's fing hot in there and it's not worth your time going. I'm not interested in going to see her unless she's got a main part." Zissman also admitted to previously skipping another daughter's woodwind recital because she dislikes the sound of the instrument.
The comments generated significant negative reactions from other mothers online. Many expressed that a parent's presence at such events is more important than the size of the child's role. Online commenters argued that children value their parents' effort to attend, regardless of their own performance, and that these are important childhood memories. Some shared personal anecdotes about the importance of parental support at school events, even when difficult.
Conversely, some social media users found humor in Zissman's candid remarks, with some agreeing that parents often have many commitments. Love Island series one winner Cara Delahoyde reportedly reacted with laughing emojis.
Zissman later clarified in the podcast's comments section that she did attend the play for a brief period before leaving to attend work calls. She returned at the end of the performance. Zissman is married to Andrew Collins, and they have two daughters, Esme, 10, and Clemmie, nine. She also has an older daughter, Dixie, 16, from a previous marriage.