Me... and my housekeeping!

Cold Feet star Fay Ripley on being a show-off in the kitchen, splashing out on handbags and why her husband’s dancing always cheers her up

Fay lives in London with her husband, Daniel Lapaine, and their two children, Parker, 17, and Sonny, 13. How would you describe your

home? Pick and mix. I’m a bit of a magpie. My mum’s an antiques dealer, so I was brought up being dragged around car boot sales and markets. I bought my first tea set with pocket money when I was 12 and stored it under my bed, knowing that one day I’d have a house to put it in.

How tidy is it? Extremely tidy; I’m anal about it. The rule in my house is ‘don’t go upstairs without taking something with you’ – whether it’s laundry or an empty bin. It’s a wasted journey otherwise. Cook for friends or eat out?

My relaxation is cooking, plus I’m an actor, so I love showing off. I want the end result to be that I get a round of applause – so, by definition, everyone’s going to have a great time!

Signature dish? I have about 300, but my thing at the moment is serving everything on boards. Frankly, even if you put cut-up sandwiches on a board with a few edible flowers on top, everyone will think you’re marvellous. Who are your dream dinner party guests? I’m sure it would be great to hang with Elvis, but the bottom line is I don’t see my girlfriends enough. I’d like to get them all together round a table. What food could you not live without?

Cake, especially lemon drizzle. When I think to myself, ‘I should probably go on a diet now,’ a cake emoji will automatically pop into my head. That’s about as far as my diet ever gets.

Are you a saver or a spender? Sadly, a spender. I don’t have a penny of savings. What is your biggest extravagance?

Handbags, because they don’t create any paranoia around your body image. If I avoid mirrors all day, I can still admire my handbag by looking at it on my arm. What is the best bargain you’ve found?

My Abigail Ahern kitchen table was a bargain, but my husband would rather eat off the floor. It was on display, so

I got it for a third of the price. The metal top has gone out of shape, so when you put a plate on it, one on the other side springs up. It’s more like a car bonnet. What did your parents teach you? My mum taught me to spread the love. She will smile and chat to anyone; she’ll even get on a bus and talk to everyone. What advice will you hand down to your kids? To have empathy – I always say to them, whatever situation you’re in, think about what it might be like for the other person. It’s easier said than done, I don’t always manage it, but that’s the goal. Favourite household task?

Anything other than ironing. I hate doing it, I’m bad at it and steam is bad for my hair. What are your kitchen cupboard must-haves?

Oats and oat milk, which I stockpile as if there’s going to be an apocalypse – and rosé wine. What keeps you awake at night? Right now, a bad neck.

What lifts you out of a mood? When I’m really down, I ask my husband to dance. As a child, he was forced to take ballet classes and he can gallop, ballet-style. It’s slightly humiliating for him, but he knows it’s worth it to see me smile.

Where is your happy place? My bath. When the kids were babies, I’d get in the bath as soon as I’d put them to bed and I still do it now they’re teens. Then my loungewear goes on and I’m content.

What is your health motto? A little bit of what you fancy won’t hurt you.

 Cold Feet returns to ITV this January

A little bit of what you fancy won’t hurt you