Monk Dawson is on BBC2 tonight at 12.35am. A rites of passage moral tale based on the award-winning novel by Piers Paul Read, about a Catholic priest who falls from grace and descends into a world of forbidden love and betrayal in 1970′s London. I play Jenny Stanten opposite John Mitchie in the title role.

Oatis the Donkey

Very exciting news! I’m off to North Africa in September. The aim is to carry out research into indigenous healthy eating. I’ll be accompanied by a great friend, an indigenous architect. We’ll be living with local people in a remote village – 14 hours’ drive by Jeep from the nearest city. So, no electricity and no mobile for a few weeks!

A side event to my trip to Africa – I’m going to meet a ‘difficult’ donkey! He’s suffering from the terrible twos and I’m planning to offer him ‘guidance’, love and direction. I adore working with animals and have spent many hours with dogs, cats and elephants even! My own little dog, Huckleberry, loves his diet of natural foods, including lentils. No tinned for him.