ON WHY SHE FELT LIKE BRIDGET

PARALLELS Kaye and partner Ian. Right, Bridget Jones’s Diary film show was a big farty Irish wolfhound called Oscar.

“I got sent out on all sorts of ludicrous stories at the time so I was Bridget Jones. Like her, I felt like I would never be taken seriously.”

The mum of two worried about her weight and admitted big pants were a factor in her life then too.

She said: “Like her, I kept a daily diary of my calorie intake although I drew the line at recording how much wine I had drunk and unlike her, I was not a smoker. I’ve also worn my fair share of big pants.” Kaye, currently in Channel 4’s The Circle with Loose Women co-star Nadia Sawalha, has been with her tennis instructor partner Ian Campbell for more than 25 years. She admits that it took a while to find her own Mr Darcy. She said: “My love life was rocky throughout my 20s – I’m afraid I never had a Colin Firth or Hugh Grant. “It was not a catalogue of disasters, just a long line of Mr Not Quite Rights. I did find Mr Right eventually.” Kaye is looking forward to hosting the Beatson Blether with Helen next

Friday. She said: “I have never interviewed Helen before and it is a real coup for the Beatson to get her. I can’t wait to ask if she has a book planned about a menopausal Bridget Jones, because that’s the stage her and all her fans will be at now.

“It’s going to be a spectacular night with a Rod Stewart tribute act and a prize draw. Beatson, like all charities, have been having a really hard time and need our help more than ever.”

VOICE OF A GENERATION Renee Zellweger as Bridget Jones in 2001