‘‘I Don't Want To Be Real I Want To Be Amanda Holden!”

Fay Ripley, 52, talks to Hayley Minn about Cold Feet, being smug about her family and why she believes a blow-dry can cure anything…

She may be one of the most recognisable faces on TV, but there’s no denying Fay Ripley is as down to earth as they come. As soon as we meet the actress on our shoot, with her 12-year-old son Sonny in tow, she apologises, “I’m so sorry, he’s off school sick today!” And, throughout the day, Fay provides us with non-stop laughter.

Most famous for her portrayal of Jenny Gifford in Cold Feet, Fay has played the character since 1997, and in the current series she’s sadly been diagnosed with breast cancer. In real life, Fay lives in London with husband Daniel Lapaine, who played Hugh Jarvis in The Durrells, their daughter Parker, 16, and Sonny.

Playing someone with cancer is not the same as having cancer, so no one has to feel sorry for me. People always ask what research I’ve done and sadly I didn’t have to do any because loads of people I know have or have had cancer. It’s in all of our lives, and it’s probably the one subject you don’t have to research at all because it’s so present and so there for us all in one form or another.

All the women I know who have had breast cancer have dealt with it from the outside amazingly. In my head, I wouldn’t deal with it anywhere near as well. I would be laying it on with a trowel, making everyone look after me 24/7 and I’d be terrified. But actually all of these women show an unbelievable strength and sense of humour.