COOL FOR CAT

melatonin… Nothing has worked. Now I’m trying to stop obsessing and accept it. The problem is that my mind races all the time; the one thing that helps is keeping a notepad next to my bed to jot down thoughts – not terribly sexy but it makes a difference. I don’t seem to have the capacity to switch myself off.’

There is no question that her decision to marry Patrick was the best one she ever made. They have known each other since 2002 when they presented the BBC show Fame Academy together. It took them ten years to get together. ‘There was always a little something, a little twinkle,’ she says. ‘But we were either involved with other partners or working on opposite sides of the world. We always called each other on our birthdays. Patrick was someone who could make me howl with laughter and also give me great advice.’

On the eve of her 35th birthday in 2011, Patrick called her from his local pub in Belfast. ‘It was 2am and he was at a lock-in at his local,’ she says. ‘He rang to ask me what I was doing for my birthday – I was going to a party at Seth MacFarlane’s house and then having lunch with friends the following day at The Beverly Hills Hotel. Patrick told me he’d see me at lunch. I just laughed and said, ‘Right.’ The next day I got up, went to lunch and in walked Patrick. There was a strange little moment like in the movies when everyone else just seemed to melt away. We spent the afternoon together just drinking, laughing, talking. He told me he wanted to be with me for ever.

‘He was very clear this was what he wanted, and that was what got me. I have lived a life where I’ve met lots of incredible people and been to lots of places, so it takes a lot to blow my socks off. But what did it was this man who had the confidence to say what he wanted, to fly halfway around the world to get it. No games, no pretence. He came back to my house that night, stayed for ten days and that was it.

‘If people think attractive is just George Clooney and Cindy Crawford – well, they need a wake-up call. There’s nothing more attractive than a man who absolutely knows what he wants, who will put his cards on the table, who can make you laugh. That’s the man you want to be with for the rest of your life.’

She gives a wide grin. The Cat who got the strawberry cream is clearly very happy. WHAT DO YOU HAVE FOR BREAKFAST? Avocado on toast with salt and pepper. FITNESS SECRET Death hikes in Los Angeles (20-mile fast-paced hikes). LAST BOOK YOU READ Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés. ON YOUR IPOD Fleetwood Mac and anything by Stevie Nicks. TV SNACK Cheese. DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN THREE WORDS Tired, tired, tired. WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN A FILM OF YOUR LIFE? Julie Andrews. WHAT DO YOU SEE WHEN YOU LOOK IN THE MIRROR? A very lucky girl. MOST TREASURED POSSESSION My wedding ring. It belonged to my grandparents and is engraved with ‘Lil and Jim 1947’. YOUR MOTTO? Oh, go on then.