GUEST of honour

ANNA CHANCELLOR on the joys of living the high life in 1920s Italy

-  REBECCA FLETCHER.

HOTEL PORTOFINO FRIDAY, 9PM, ITV1 DRAMA

Anna Chancellor had no qualms about agreeing to play a ferocious battleaxe in ITV1’s sun-drenched period drama Hotel Portofino. ‘A woman with an annoying opinion on everything… I thought that would be a lot of fun,’ smiles the actor, who’s clearly having a ball as Lady Latchmere, a hard-to-please British guest intent on scolding staff and bullying her relative, Melissa (Imogen King), while staying on the magical Italian Riviera during the roaring 1920s.

This week, there are culinary issues at the hotel, with Lady Latchmere as difficult and disapproving as ever. But is there more to her than meets the eye? Absolutely, says Anna, 57.

Here, she tells us more…

What was it that appealed to you about Hotel Portofino?