You're appearing in two costume dramas, Little Dorrit and The Devil's Whore. Is corset fatigue setting in?

I love the idea of all this elaborate underwear but because of the restriction it causes, the costumes make me a little burpy! When they first put you in them, you start off being a bit vain, and going “please, do it as tight as possible”, then after you've had lunch and a big sponge pudding, you're like... “can you let me out of this a bit, please?”

Both roles are quite different. Is it fun playing the sinister Miss Wade in Little Dorrit?

Definitely. And it's so interesting with all the overtones that Dickens wrote in. There are loads of people saying that Miss Wade wasn't a lesbian, but I've read the book and obviously it wasn't allowed to be explicit then, but that makes it much more interesting to play. Raise the stakes, throw it all in - I don't mind!

By contrast, Elizabeth Lilburne in The Devil's Whore is a very heroic figure.

She's a fighter, very much the strong woman behind the strong man. She knows no boundaries at a time when women's lot wasn't very much. She's pretty inspirational.

Did you identify with her?

I think so. I think all women are strong; I think we're stronger, tougher than men. Physically they might be stronger, but mentally we rule. But we let them get away with it, don't we? It's our fault really because we let them have their own way.

Anyone special in your life?

No. I'd better hurry up though because I'm not getting any younger.

As someone's who's used to being on camera, are you pretty confident about your looks?

Crikey no! But I'm all I've got, so you've just got to get on with it. I've got more important things to think about, thank goodness.

Do you eat healthily?

I would like to think so. I'm not a junk food fan and I try to eat a balanced diet. I don't always manage my five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, though.

Exercise fan?

I usually go to the gym for five months of the year and then not bother for the rest. I have tried yoga, but I haven't got the patience.

Like a tipple?

Yes I drink, but everything in moderation. My favourite drink is probably a nice organic cider. None of this neon liquid that comes in gigantic bottles.

Ever smoked?

No. I tried furiously to get to grips with it in my early teens, but it made me feel constantly nauseous. It still does. After certain days filming Shameless, when my character Veronica would have to be “heavy on the fags”, I'd have to go home and lie down.

How do you relax?

When I'm asleep. Relaxing makes me anxious. Work can be relaxing, in a strange way, because it gets you out of the real world for a bit. I have this terrible guilt, that if I'm sitting down for more than 15 minutes, there's something I should be doing - sorting out my knicker drawer or something.

Workaholic, then?

I'm an anything-aholic. As long as I'm doing something, keeping busy, then I'm OK.

Ever get stage fright?

Constantly. My camera fright is worse, though. With theatre, you get weeks to rehearse. With television, you're being beamed into rooms full of strangers who you're supposed to be in love with.

Does every film set end up becoming a big happy family?

It's surprising how quickly you can feel as if you've spent years with these people. You go through so many emotions, open yourself up to people so quickly and your barriers are really down. Then you bump into them five years later and go: “Oh, sorry, I lost your number!”

What about your own family?

I'm from Bolton, Lancashire. I lived in London for 12 years and I've just moved up to Salford. I'm so northern, I just can't help it. Getting older, I wanted to be near family and felt that was home. And I wanted a house, not a shoebox!

Pills or potions?

My arm has to be dropping off before I go to the doctor. I've had a go at homoeopathy. As I'm getting older, bits and pieces are falling off. I just try not to think about health issues and get on with it, hoping that I'm all right.

Ever tried therapy?

Acting is therapy! I like getting my teeth into a good old emotional piece; it stretches the heart muscles.

Are you superstitious?

I do salute magpies, but I'll quite happily walk under a ladder and I get great joy from saying “Macbeth” in front of actors and watching the silly sods squirm

Ever sought comfort in religion?

That would be the very last place I'd look. It's usually chocolate.

INTERVIEW: HARRIET ADDISON

Little Dorrit, BBC One, every Wednesday and Thursday at 8pm; and The Devil's Whore, Channel 4, Wednesday, 9pm

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