Chrissie Swan, network free spirit.

Now that Chrissie Swan is off contract with TEN, she’s open to all sorts of ideas.

She has recently appeared on Weekend Today and Mornings with Sonia Kruger and David Campbell, ironically the show that used to compete against The Circle (although Swan had already departed before they went head to head).

“I’ve been off limits for a long time, but now I am a free agent. So it’s nice to be popping up on different networks,” she tells TV Tonight.

Her last regular TV series was TEN’s Can of Worms, which screened in at various timeslots in 2012 and 2013.

“It swapped around, as they all do,” the Gold Logie nominee admits.

“I couldn’t keep track of it, in the end.

“But that was it. There were 2 seasons we were optioned for and we did it and that was that.”

Since first appearing on Big Brother, then The Circle, and Project appearances, Swan has been entirely aligned with the one network. But she doesn’t rule out the possibility of opportunities elsewhere.

“It seems my entire career has been with TEN so it’s obviously where I know people and I’m top of mind, definitely, with them,” she says.

“But I’m open to anything. I’m only 40 and hopefully I have a long working life ahead of me, because I have a huge mortgage and 3 kids.

“I’m one of those people where, if I get a call to do something and it sounds like fun, I find it very hard to resist. Very hard. Impossible. Because I can’t live with regret.”

Morning radio has suited Swan’s timetable in recent years, whilst raising her children. That meant some offers had to be politely declined.

“Even though there were ones that were physically impossible, I still think about them,” she concedes.

“For me the last 5 years have been all about timing, because I’ve either been pregnant or with a newborn, so it’s been hard. But I’ve been really fortunate to make it work so beautifully.”

Other diversions also include upcoming appearances for Have You Been Paying Attention? and this week she makes her acting debut in Offspring. While the scene is admittedly brief, Swan will play herself in a scene resembling an awards show.

“I’ve never learned a line of dialogue in my life, so that was interesting. But I just loved the whole process,” she insists.

“I put on the dress that I wore when I was up for the Gold Logie, because that’s the only fancy dress I have.

“I was on set with everyone, which I was surprised about.

“Asher, Kat Stewart, Lachie Hulme, the gorgeous Jane Harber, Alicia Gardiner. They were all there.

“They’re so nice. You’d think they’d be so up themselves and frosty because they’re so successful, but the opposite is true.”

Swan had no hesitations when she was asked if she would like to appear.

“I was like ‘Oh my god, yes! Whatever they want I will do!'” she recalls.

“I love the show and I love trying new things. Larry Emdur once said to me, ‘Never say no to anything.’ And he seems to be doing alright.

“I like trying new things. And I’d be silly not to give it a go, don’t you think?”

But the shoot nearly went awry because of Swan’s emotional investment in the storylines. Offspring is her favourite show, and the scene was filmed not long after the death of Patrick.

“I was devastated by that. So I just found myself sobbing at the podium. What an idiot,” she laughs.

“They were like, ‘Cut!’ and I said, ‘I’m so sorry, just give me a few minutes to pull myself together!’

“It wasn’t just a few tears, I was fully crying about it. So we had to do a few more takes.

“I have it on good authority it was the first scene in the blooper reel at the After Party.”

Offspring airs 8:30pm Wednesday on TEN.