All About Soap

The hot seat!

If you could act with one person - dead or alive - who would it be?
[Eleanor Joseph, Dover]
Oh, that`s a tricky one. I`d like to work with Robert De Niro or someone like that - an actor who is well established and highly regarded in the industry. I`ve already been in a British film, There`s Only One Jimmy Grimble, so to do a big hollywood movie would be amazing.

Have you ever broken the law? [K Olsen, via e-mail]
No. I go through amber lights when I`m driving sometimes but that`s about as far as I have gone - I`m a good girl!

What is your favourite song? [Paul Ellis, Hove]
Stand By Me by Ben E King is one of my favourite records, but I would have to say my favourite artist is Madonna. I`ve got absolutely everything she`s ever done, but I like the early stuff from the 1980s the best. I went to see her in concert last year and she was wicked.

What was your favourite TV show when you were a kid? [Katie Sykes, Linlithgow]
I used to love watching Home & Away and Neighbours when I came in from school. I liked it when Shane and Angel were in Home & Away, and Brad and Beth were definitely my favourite Neighbours characters! I would watch those while I had my tea.

What`s your worst fashion mistake? [C Armstrong, London]
Probably some of the clothes I`ve worn as Maria! All those massive polo shirts and jeans that were baggy at the thigh but really tight at the calves they were naff. I expected it because the character was a scruffy kennelmaid - I was dead chuffed whe she finally got a makeover!

Who would you ban from the charts? [Fran Nixon, London]
Atomic Kitten are starting to annoy me. They are getting a bit overexposed but I have to admit I did like Whole Again. Also all the one-hit wonders with daft songs like Bob The Builder, they just shouldn`t be allowed. Oh and of course Westlife, I hate them!

Are you a good cook? [Les Howe, Bridport]
My mum says I`m really bad at it. I`m left-handed and she always says she can`t deal with me in the kitchen because everything is made for right-handed people, so peeling and chopping is really difficult! It`s a great excuse not to cook though, but I don`t think I`m that bad. I can do Arabic salad, my dad is Lebanese and he taught me how to make it. I love Lebanese food.

Are you a good driver? [Jim Forbes, Count Tyrone]
I wouldn`t say I`m the world`s best driver, but I`m not the worst either. I passed my test first time but I did have 32 lessons. I`m fine when I`m driving on my own but if I`ve got somebody with me in the car then I tend to make mistakes because I get distracted. Then I look rubbish!

What could you not give up? [Erin Watson, Kilmarnock]
Acting, it`s all I`ve ever done! I`ve had an agent since I was six and I`ve always gone to drama school. I started off modelling kids` clothes in catalogues, then progressed to having drama lessons and when I was seven I was an extra in Children`s Ward, and also in Corrie, long before I got the part of Maria. I got my first proper role when I was 11 so I can`t imagine not doing it. I worked in a clothes shop for a while and it just wasn`t me. I got told off all the time for talking too much.

What can`t you leave the house without taking with you? [Sally-Ann Carrington, Chester]
I can`t leave without my Beni Tint, it`s make-up by Benefit. It`s for your cheeks and your lips to make you look healthy and it gives you a really sexy glow.

Would you be tempted to enter Big Brother 3? [T Dickson, Annan]
If it was just for a week like they did last year for Comic Relief I could do it, but I don`t think I could last the full 11 weeks. I might last a little while but I wouldn`t make it to the end, I would probably start annoying people. I was really into in last year though, I would watch it on E4 all day. I was really pleased when Brian won.

Who do you think is the best actor in Corrie? [Hazel Dwight, Saffron Walden]
The ones I admire most are Bill Tarmey and Liz Dawn, who play Jack and Vera, because they have been in it so long. It`s brilliant to watch them create the magic! I love doing scenes with them now Maria doesn`t live with the couple anymore. It was such an honour when I knew I would be working with the Duckworths because I had watched them for years.

Who would you pick as your ideal celebrity date? [Amy White, Bolton]
Well my boyfriend (actor Ciaran Griffiths) has just got a part in The Bill so I`ll say him. He`s really enjoying it but I miss him now he`s filming down in London. If I had to say someone who was really, really famous it would be Brad Pitt - he`s gorgeous!

Have you ever been in love before? [Wendy Ogilvie, Epsom]
Nope, just with my boyfriend. I`ve been with him for over two years now, so it must be love. We keep coming back to each other anyway!

Would you rather have a new sports car or a new wardrobe? [D Young, Oban]
A new wardrobe, I`m quite happy with my little Peugot 206! I love clothes shopping. I live close to the Trafford Centre in Manchester, which is a huge shopping mall, and I`m there all the time. Even if I nip out for petrol I have to pass there so I pop in and buy something. I love Topshop stuff at the moment, I can`t seem to go in there without making a purchase!

What do you think is your best physical feature? [Kate Potter, Liverpool]
Jimmi (Harkishin, who plays The Street`s Dev Alahan) told me the other day that I`ve got nice eyes, but that`s probably Jimmi being his usual smooth self! I`d say my hair is probably my best feature when it`s straightened. It`s a mess when its not, but when it`s all straight it`s kind of okay.

What is your favourite all-time ice cream flavour? [R Erikson, via e-mail]
I`m really indecisive and can`t pick just one, so it would have to be chocolate, mint and strawberry. All three of them together would have to be my favourite. When I`m walking around the Trafford Centre they`ve got little ice cream booths so I always get one to eat while looking around the shops.

Would you ever consider having a tattoo or a body piercing? [Jennie Greenwood, Guildford]
I haven`t got anything at the moment. I actually went to a fortune teller and she told me I shouldn`t get my belly button pierced, which was quite strange! I don`t think I would have anything like that done to be honest, I`m too much of a wimp. Tattoos can look nice if you have them at the bottom of the back, but I couldn`t have one because I would probably end up changing my mind after it was too late!

Would you consider yourself to be generous or tight-fisted? [K Signore, Everton]
My brother would probably say I`m tight-fisted but that`s just because he is my brother. However, I love buying presents for people so I would say I am generous. Actually I`ve got to buy a present for Charlie Dale, who used to play Dennis on the show. It`s his birthday this weekend and I`m going to his party, but I`ve no idea what to get him yet.

What is you biggest pet hate? [Nicola Victor, London]
Big-headed people, I really can`t stand them. You get certain people, and I`m not naming names, when you go to awards shows and celeb parties who come across as really rude and big-headed. I can never understand why, it`s just a job, you just happen to be in the public eye, but it`s still just a job. Get over yourself!

Have you ever had a fight with anyone, and did you win? [Penelope Irving, Leeds]
Me and my brother used to fight when we were little, but that doesn`t really count. I go into a fight when I was at primary school with these two sisters actually, but that was the only proper one I have ever had. The headmaster found us and broke it up but because there was two of them and one of me I didn`t get told off. It was cool, I just pretended to cry and said it wasn`t my fault. I was only about nine though.

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