Article by Patrick Hill

Sacked soap queen Sue Lloyd's dream of finding stardom in Hollywood has turned into a nightmare.  Blonde Sue, who became a telly favourite as Barbara Hunter in Crossroads, admits that her career there has hit rock-bottom.  And she is forced to return to England to get TV work.

Sue - who stripped for the Joan Collins movies The Stud and The Bitch - quit Britain with her screen husband Ronnie Allen after they were axed from the long-running soap five years ago.

But while her heart-throb lover Ronnie, 54, has found fame in money-spinning American soaps, 49 year old Sue spends her days painting.  She also told how:

• She was beaten to the part of superbitch Sable in the The Colby's by fellow Brit Stephanie Beecham.
• Hollywood bosses have ignored her.
• She has been refused a U.S. work visa.

"Had I got the Sable role I'd be earning a fortune now," she said.  "The Americans want people who can be offered a job one day and start the next.  I can't be like that."

But Sue is willing to put up with the knocks to be with Ronnie.  And she has the consolation of appearing in two TV shows in England this Christmas.  Bergerac - during filming of which Sue broke her foot - and Miss Marple: A Caribbean Mystery.

Crossroads fans were stunned when Sue and Ronnie were both sacked in 1984 and the series was later ditched.  But Ronnie has bounced back in America and just won a star part in the new NBC drama Generations.  Sue said:  "I'd prefer to live in England as I get terribly homesick.  I go back every couple of months.  But Ronnie's in Los Angeles and I want to be with him, even though I haven't been offered any acting work there.  I make my living painting.

"I think it's important Ronnie should have the chance of success.  He now has the opportunity to earn big money.  We live a very irresponsible kind of life.  We have the most miniscule apartment in a delightful area and we can forget everything."

After nearly ten years together Sue and Ronnie have no wedding plans.  "As far as we're concerned, it's enough to be together," she said.