Has anyone influenced your style over the years?

I'm still like a child on the inside. When I was small I always went upstairs and went through my aunt's drawers pulling things out. Oh, I got told off! I used to dress up with beads and high heels...I was a real mess! My aunt, my father's sister, Aunty Margaret, used to dress really smart. She was really classy, and knew how to put clothes together. I'm a lot more 'actressy' than her. She didn't wear to much 'jingle', as she called them, when she saw me on telly. But she was a big influence on me, if I wear something that's common, I can hear her voice saying "oh, you're looking very common".

How would you describe your style?

My wardrobe is quite normal to tell you the truth, I'm quite proud of it. I wear a lot of brown at the moment. At Christmas time I'm like Mary Christmas, I wear fur coats and enjoy the Christmas spirit. Once that's over, I wear browns and enjoy coming down to earth and calming down a bit. Then in the summer I'll be colourful again, wearing red and so on. I'm like the weather, changing with the seasons.

What would you say is your favourite item of clothes?

I like coats and jackets, especially long coats. I feel that they frame me nicely.

This long black coat is plain on the outside and colourful inside. Does it represent two sides to your character?

The other way round possibly, I tend to be noisy on the outside and quiet on the inside! I've got another colourful little jacket, but this one is Versace. This one looks great with plain clothes underneath in the summer. You can wear different t-shirts underneath and it's unique. I love wearing it and it comes out every year, because it never goes out of fashion.

What's the story behind this red dress?

I've worn this one so much it's nearly falling to pieces. It's a coatdress and it's brilliant. There's broderie anglaise on the bottom which is quite unusual. Then I've also got a leather coat in the same style with the broderie and I've also worn this one loads. It just looks nice with something plain underneath and then the pattern on it is unique.

You've got two wardrobes haven't you, one day to day and the other one for performing?

Yes, I've got showbiz clothes that show the other side of me, the fairground side of me, because there's all sort of things in this wardrobe. I love creating a character, the process of creating one. For example, I don't like people speaking with me when I'm putting my eye make-up on because it's a personal process, which calms me down and gets me into character. I put my work first quite often to be honest with you and I don't like being slap-dash about it, I like making the most of my character.

You keep your showbiz clothes in a separate room and it's like a boudoir!

We have guests coming over from time to time, and they love seeing the 'clagg' as my boyfriend calls them! I've bought loads of things from BJ Jones over the years, but it's closed down now. They were selling everything in the shop in the end...things like doorstops and hat hangers! I bought ten hats there and I've used six of them already! I love hats, but when I put a hat on, I start getting into character - a hat just does something to me and makes me laugh. Every character goes on a journey to tell you the truth, maybe it will start with the hat, and maybe it will start with an accent. For example I'll go into a shop and maybe something will catch my eye, so I think, should I buy it or will I be wasting my money, or is there something here that will inspire me to create a character?

Your characters are very unique aren't they, every one of them with a different costume.

For the character Delyth Dawes I sent my boyfriend into a ..., well how shall I put it, a shop that you wouldn't go into usually, to buy some thigh-high PVC boots because I wanted to look like a gothic. Delyth Dawes is an innocent character, but loves to wear thing as if she's hanging on to her youth. I just like coming on stage and keeping quiet just to see the audience's reaction, because they can't believe that I've done such a thing, a woman of my age dressed like that!

So does your interest in clothes come from the fact that you like using the clothes to get into character or are you also interested in style and fashion?

About two years ago, I asked a friend that sews if she'd be willing to make a coat for me along the same style as I already had, but in dark, dark red and purple. "Ok" she said, a bit hesitantly. I like risking things a bit sometimes with clothes. Anyway, she made the coat for me and I put it on and she said, "It looks great!"

This black and pink dress is amazing, where did you get it?

I like a bargain if I'm going to customise my clothes. I bought this black velvet dress that falls just below the knee for £5 in a charity shop. Then I asked Bryan Mallem, who designs all of Shan Cothi's costumes, to make something in the style of Marilyn Monroe with it, and he chose this pink. I've got a shawl to go with it as well and it looks a million dollars even though it cost me about £10 in total!

What do clothes mean to you?

When I wear clothes I get all sort of feelings - I feel different in everything I put on. That's why I'm an actress, because clothes make me feel fantastic. It makes me feel dignified and different. I'm just living my dream, to tell you the truth. Wherever I go, I try to create a wardrobe for myself - wardrobeaholic!