Bravo, 1982: ABBA privately

Bravo: Agnetha, pictures of you have appeared recently, on which you look heavily pregnant. Where do these pictures come from? Agnetha: “They are from the Swedish movie Raskenstam that will be out in the cinemas in early 1983. It’s a tragic and funny story about a marriage impostor in the forties who took a lot of money from about one hundred women and who had to go behind bars for six years for that. I’m playing the character of the only girl that he really loved and got married to. My character also has two of his children, hence the pictures with the big pillow under my dress.” Bravo: Privately, you often wear glasses? Do you have a problem with your vision? Agnetha: “No, they only have plain glass. I only wear them to change my face.” Bravo: Talk about changing – Björn, why did you decide to grow a beard as well? Björn: “It was about time to cover up my face. But seriously: it’s pure laziness, because it’s much more convenient if you don’t have to shave every day.” Bravo: You have given your meanwhile eleven months old daughter the German name Emma. What gave you this idea? Björn: “The name is not uncommon in Sweden. My wife Lena and I found it in a names book. Apart from that, the little girl looks like an Emma – small, cute, blonde hair, blue eyes.” Bravo: Are you able to change your baby’s diaper? Björn: “Of course. Changing diapers, feeding, pushing the pram are even mostly my task, because Lena is working at an advertising agency again. I was also present when Emma was born, I even cut the umbilical cord.” Bravo: Benny, a photographer secretly took a snapshot while you were pushing the pram... Benny: “In Sweden, it’s very common that husband and wife both take care of the children. Ten percent of the Swedish men even take the so-called maternity leave instead of their wives. I belong to those ten percent as well and I’m playing the homemaker. Since Mona is working again at her job as a TV producer, I am taking care of our baby Ludvig.” Bravo: Who is taking care of your babies when you are at work? Björn: “We both have a nanny. Lena and I have a Swedish au pair girl. She is 22 years old and her name is Ulrike.” Bravo: Frida, you have already gone through all these problems. How many children do you actually have? Frida: “Now let me think... Kidding aside, I have four children. Two from my first marriage and Benny has two from a previous relationship. And because I have been with him for such a long time, his chilren are mine as well to some extent. My daughter Lise-Lotte is attending high school in America. My son Hans (19) is working as a sound engineer with Swedish artists.” Bravo: Can you cook? Frida: “Yes, very well actually. But for about four years, I have been living like a vegetarian. Around that time, I read an article about the way that pigs were treated. I thought that was so disgusting that I haven’t touched meat ever since.” Bravo: Is it true that you are going to move to England? Frida: “Yes, I have decided to leave Sweden because I can’t be anonymous in my private life any longer. In the near future, I would like to spend most of my time in London which is better for me professionally and for my solo career as well. But I will keep on working with ABBA too.”