Well, I haven’t been an actress for that long. This is my second career.

I got into acting because I was asked to be an escapologist’s assistant. I taught French for about 150 years and I helped the escapologist in my spare time and in the holidays. One thing led to another and I was offered the chance of an early retirement. I took that and thought, "Well it’s great fun and you only live once, don’t you... I’ll try theatre".

Then in about 91 I was very lucky because I was able to go legit, stop doing musical numbers and do straight plays. I was in a straight play, a tour of Jane Eyre with Nick Briggs. There’s the connection.

So Nick Briggs rang me up and said, "I’ve got just the part for you, she’s an alien and she’s part Russian, part German and half warthog - absolutely right for you dear." I did it and that was my introduction to Doctor Who. Then I learnt a year or so later, that I was going to be Colin Baker’s companion. I couldn’t believe it. Very exciting.