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
A CITY OF TWO HALVES
There's a holiday for every budget to be found in Dubai, as OK!'s Faith Richardson discovered
'Christmas is a double whammy'
Chef James Martin on the pressures of dividing his time between his restaurants and his family over the festivities
LEARN HOW TO PLEASE YOURSELF
The festive season can be an incredibly stressful time, particularly for people-pleasers who struggle to put their own needs first
'There's a bit of faking it until you make it'
Actor Paul Mescal on entering the Gladiator II arena, building a blockbuster body for his role as fighter Lucius Verus, and heading up an A-list cast of Hollywood's finest stars
THE A-LIST HAIL HOLLYWOOD'S BIG HITTERS
A line-up of the film world's best-known faces attended this year's Governors Awards to celebrate lifetime achievements
'I think we arrived right on time'
The stars of the long-awaited film Wicked, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, tell us why its themes are so relevant right now and why the musical is so dear to their hearts
'No one knows who I am'
Having first found fame on social media, GK Barry has become the breakout star of this year's I'm A Celebrity
'I still pinch myself about how we met'
Now legally married, MAFS Uk’s Adam and Tayah Aveling are looking forward to Christmas with their daughter and welcoming baby number two in 2025
THE ROYAL WEEK
It was a sad week for Queen Camilla, but a good week for the royal family’s charities with visits to hospitals and homeless centres
WILLIAM AND KATE'S MAGICAL CHRISTMAS
After a challenging year for the royal family, the Prince and Princess of Wales plan to give their children an unforgettable time filled with fun and festivities
