Actress and television presenter Sheree Murphy talks fashion, food and… fanciable men – shhh, don’t tell Harry!

How would you describe your style?
I’m your typical casual kinda girl. You’ll usually find me wearing jeans with flat shoes in the day. I love the summer pumps that are in season at the mo. And come winter, I’ll be living in my Ugg boots. When I get dressed up, I go all out – cos it’s so much fun. That’s when the heels come out of my shoe cupboard and the glam dress gets an airing!

Do you have an all-time favourite outfit?
I love the dresses on this shoot – and I recently bought a whole bunch of shift dresses which look great teamed with tights.

Who’s your favourite clothes designer?
Chloe for designer clothes and Topshop for funky high street clobber. The high street stores offer much more than they ever used to – great for fashion fans.

Who’s your favourite shoe designer?
Christian Louboutin, without a doubt. I have a huge shoe passion. And bags too. In fact, I made sure that I had a bespoke shoe and bag room built in our house so that I could store all my gear in a separate place. When it’s all sorted – shoes in their boxes and bags on the shelves – it looks amazing. It takes my breath away! I’ve even been known to take pictures of all the pigeon holes where the shoes sit.

Erm, so do you actually wear all your shoes?
Oh yes, I do wear them all – I’d never get rid of them but I go through phases and just store the ones I’ve got a bit bored with. My beloved Gina shoes are in storage now, waiting for my daughter Ruby.

And what about your bag collection?
I’ve got some Chanel classics and a selection of stunning, timeless bags. The 2.55 Chanel bag is one of my faves at the mo. I bought it in more than one colour! And I love my Chloe bags, too. I’ve always been a bit of a girlie girl – fashion is definitely a passion. Growing up with four brothers, you’d think I would have been a tomboy, but I’m so glad I wasn’t!

What did you snap up in your last spending spree, then?
Gosh, this is going to sound really extravagant, but then I’ve already said how much I love shoes. I recently bought loads of Christian Louboutin wedge shoes for the summer and a whole batch of floaty summer dresses too. What can I say? I love shopping!

Sounds like you’re a bit of a shopaholic, Sheree?
If only! I don’t always have the time to shop but when I do, I suppose I go for it! I always pay my friend Justine Mills’ designer boutique, Cricket (in Liverpool) a visit. It’s definitely my favourite shop, over and above all the big department stores, as it stocks all the labels I love – including Chloe. Justine styled me today and she always knows what suits me best and how to put a great outfit together for me – or simply adapt a trendy look to suit me. Thank God for Cricket and Topshop!

What did you think of the 60s make-up and fashion today?
I loved it! Mascara is the one pieces of make-up I always wear during the day, with a bit of blusher and some natural lipgloss. So to have my eyes done up really intensely was lovely. The classic 60s look is coming back again – shift dresses are everywhere. It’s a fun look, and that’s what fashion is all about for me – having fun and experimenting with different clothes and ideas.

What’s your fave thing on TV at the moment?
I’m glued to the US drama, Prison Break. Wentworth Miller is so hot! But the plot’s really exciting too. I never miss an episode of Desperate Housewives, and I was addicted to the most recent series of America’s Next Top Model – anything to do with fashion and beauty, I’m there!

What TV character are you most like?
There’s a little something from each of the Desperate Housewives characters in me. There’s the sexy one, the one who’s frantic with her kids, the one who’s there for her friends, and the one who wants to be the perfect housewife. I’m probably a mixture of all of them!

Corrie, EastEnders or Emmerdale?
EastEnders all the way.

Which soap would you love to be in?
Well, I’ve done Emmerdale – which was amazing – so I’d have to say EastEnders. That would be really cool. I’d played a small role in The Bill but life really changed for me when I went to Emmerdale. It was also during that time that I met Harry, so Emmerdale has a very big place in my heart. But I had to leave to concentrate on my family. The schedules on soaps are gruelling and it’s really hard to combine the two things – acting in a soap and bringing up a young family. Television presenting came along at the right time, but I would love to get back into acting. Live TV is a different kind of buzz – I’d get really nervous and the adrenaline would be pumping. Doing soaps is a little more comfortable because it’s not live and you’re in a ‘set’ environment which creates a real family atmosphere – and I do miss that.

What do you advise for a stress-free pregnancy?
Try to enjoy every stage and pamper yourself. As the months go on, it’s harder to look after yourself, so take time out for pedicures and massages – it just makes you feel better about yourself and keeps you relaxed. My son Taylor weighed 9lb 4oz and Ruby was 8lb 5oz – I ate loads when I was expecting Taylor and learnt to be more careful with Ruby. After Taylor, I had a career to go straight back to, so I was motivated to lose weight. But with Ruby my body was out of shape for a lot longer.
There is pressure on me to stay in good shape – but that pressure comes from myself!

Do you find it difficult spending time with your children when you have a busy schedule?
Not really. I make sure I fit my work around my kids – Harry and I both do. One of us is always there to look after them. Harry’s recent injury means he has been home a lot more than usual – he still trains every day, but he’s not been playing, so it’s been great to have him at home with me and the kids. He’s nearly back to full fitness now.

Who or what makes you laugh out loud?
My kids make me laugh every single day. Trying to tell them off is a nightmare. Harry makes me laugh, too. He is quite serious but really, really funny – we’re lucky we have a house filled with laughter.

What’s been your proudest moment of your career to date?
The turning point for me was when I was in the jungle (during I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here). It was a massive gamble and I worried myself sick leading up to it. But it worked out so well – I accomplished so much. It was one of my greatest working achievements, fighting some of my biggest fears and handling cameras on me 24/7. The sky dive at the beginning, for example, was extremely testing as I’m so afraid of heights and hate flying. To come second was something I never expected. Jumping out of a plane, being among all those creepy crawlies, away from family – I was really proud of myself. What you saw was me being myself. People believe that you put on a bit of a front or act a certain part when you’re on a reality TV show, but it’s just not possible to do that for that amount of time. I completely forgot about the cameras – that’s why the nation heard me saying funny things about Harry’s ‘peachy’ bottom!

Who’s been your biggest influence?
I always knew I wanted to act and entertain, and my parents encouraged me to follow my dream – so they have definitely been a huge influence. In terms of actors, I admire women like Brenda Blethyn and Alison Steadman. My dad introduced me to these amazing actors.

Who would you swap places with for 24 hours?
No one really. I love my own life, so I’d miss it if I was anyone else. But I am really nosy, so I’d love to be able to take a sneak peek at other people's lives – being a fly on the wall at Angelina Jolie’s house might be interesting!

What’s your greatest fear?
I’ve overcome several of them since being in the jungle but I suppose, like many people, I’m quite scared of death. I think it stems from when my dad died suddenly, without warning. He wasn’t sick at all. One day he just went to bed and never woke up. You just don’t know what’s around the corner and that is very frightening for a mother with young kids.

What do you enjoy most about being an actress and TV presenter?
Playing a character that’s not you. Playing Trisha Dingle in Emmerdale was a lot of fun. She was a mixture of about three people in my life. I’m not saying who!

Would you ever go on another reality TV show?
I’d like to try other things first – but I’d never say never. So, yeah, maybe – if it was the right show for me.

Who would play you in a movie of your life?
Angelina Jolie or Catherine Zeta Jones – I’m sure they’d have to fight over the role!

What are your aims for 2007 and 2008?
I’m really lucky to have done both presenting and acting jobs in the past, and I hope that continues because I enjoy both. The door is wide open. It’s exciting to be involved in new ideas and I’m talking about a few different things at the moment. I’m lucky not to be under pressure to work so I can be a bit more picky – I embrace new opportunities as they come.