With her glowing skin, glossy hair and infectious smile, Lucy Pargeter radiates relaxed Hollywood glamour at our OK! Magazine photoshoot. So we can't believe it when the Emmerdale beauty tells us that in real life, dressing up just isn't her thing.
"I don't like dressing up," confides Lucy. "That's why you won't find me at many awards ceremonies. It fills me with dread. I don't do my hair. I'm lucky if I wipe my make-up off at night!"
Maybe so, but during our shoot, Lucy exudes style and poise before falling in love with several suits, some fine knits and a luxuriously chunky cardigan as she quips, "It's a good job I've just been paid!"
Blessed with a classic bone structure and long limbs, Lucy insists she's very low maintenance at home. "It's fun," she says. "But I can't wait to get home and get in the PJs and put my hair up in a top knot."
Waiting for her at home are her children - Lola, 18, and her twins, Missy and Betsy, six. Then there are her three dogs, Bertie, Pearl and Lennie, plus her beloved bearded dragon, Nala.
If that wasn't enough to keep her busy, she's also known to millions as Emmerdale's indomitable pub landlady Chas Dingle, who is currently about to have a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with triple-A breast cancer.
The scenes have been intense and emotional, but with her full family life, Lucy has learnt not to bring her work home with her.
"It is hard," she shares. "The days are long and daunting. There's a lot of emotion, but the days of me taking it home with me are long gone."
"When I walk into that house I'm a mum of three kids, I've got three dogs and I've got a whole load more lines to learn for the next day. My family snaps me out of it."
On screen, Chas learns her cancer is caused by the faulty BRCA2 gene and that her children Aaron (Danny Miller) and Eve could have inherited it.
Denne historien er fra March 11, 2024-utgaven av OK! UK.
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Denne historien er fra March 11, 2024-utgaven av OK! UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
THE PITFALLS OF AT-HOME REMEDIES
Some online health advice could be putting our wellbeing at risk
GREEK RETREATS
Relax and unwind at some of the Greek islands' best wellness destinations, offering sun, sea - and spas
Food from home
Romy Gill takes us on a journey through the ancestral kitchens of the Bengal and Punjab regions by sharing 70 of her beloved family recipes
DANCING QUEEN: 'You'd have to shovel me out of my Strictly chair'
Shirley Ballas loves her role as head judge on the hit BBC dance show and despite struggling with back pain, she won't be putting her feet up any time soon, she tells OK! in an exclusive interview
FAMILY TIME: 'I feel content and in a good place - I was so different before I became a mum'
Reality TV star Ferne McCann on motherhood, marriage and being inspired by her children
THE MATCHMAKER: 'I would pay to go on My Mum, Your Dad if I wasn't in a relationship'
As the hit ITV dating series where single parents get a second chance of finding love returns, host Davina McCall reveals why the show is such a success
REEL DRAMA: BRAD STEALS THE SHOW AT MAJOR MOVIE EVENT
A host of screen stars graced the red carpet for the 81st Venice International Film Festival
FAMILY MATTERS: 'PETE AND I GET ON EACH OTHER'S NERVES, BUT WE LAUGH EVERY DAY'
Presenter Abbey Clancy tells us her secret to a happy marriage and why she loves the chaos of family life
SUMMER OF LOVE: 'We just match each other perfectly'
Olympic swimmer Matthew Richards marries fiancée Emily Large in a fairytale ceremony, making it a summer that they'll never forget
LIFE, LOVE AND DUTY: QUEEN CAMILLA'S JOURNEY INTO THE SPOTLIGHT
Following another busy week of duties, it's clear Queen Camilla has taken to her role in the monarchy “like a duck to water\" says former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond
