Twenty years ago before TOWIE and Made In Chelsea, the reality TV show everyone watched was ITV’s Airline.
The programme, following Easyjet staff based at Luton Airport, ran for ten series from 1998 and today three of the stars – Katrina Batham, Leo Jones and Jane Lee (nee Boulton) were reunited on This Morning.
They were interviewed by Emma Willis and a very excited Rylan Clark-Neal, who admitted he had been a huge fan of the show.
He recalled how the antics of drunk and disorderly flyers, and how the staff handled angry customers when flights were delayed or cancelled, always had viewers hooked, as did learning about the lives of the Easyjet workers.
One of the most poignant stories was that of Katrina, who it was revealed had beaten cancer when she was a teenager.
Rylan said to her: “There was always so much drama but the country were so invested in you Katrina and your battle with cancer. It started when you were 16 and returned when filming.
“We all fell in love with you and your journey and most people want to know, how are you now?”
Katrina, who has two daughters, said she’s “okay” but she hasn’t had an easy time since the cameras stopped rolling.
“In Airline you saw me have cancer number two. I have had it seven times now,” she revealed.
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“I left Easyjet and had cancer again but didn’t tell anyone. Over the years I have had it seven times and lost seven organs but I am still here. Every day is precious to me, I live each day as it comes. I live for my girls.”
While the trio being reunited on camera today was a rarity for viewers, they revealed they do all keep in touch and meet regularly.
None of them work for Easyjet any longer.
Former check-in supervisor Leo, who was just 19 when he first appeared on Airline, said he “left aviation last month to take some time to myself”.
He is now a father to sons Hugo and Zack, aged five and three.
Meanwhile, Jane now works for herself as a childminder and organises children’s parties. She also bakes one of a kind cakes.
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She said while their old jobs were sometimes stressful, she does miss it.
She explained: “For us, particularly our crew in Luton who are still in touch, we all say the same thing – we’ve never worked anywhere where we’ve had that relationship. We were like a family. We worked hard but we also partied hard.”
Ahh, we miss the show too!
What are your favourite memories of Airline? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know!