Also, it was the era of and , and I was keen to make a film about northern England that was not about poverty and deprivation.
The real-life calendar girls taught all of us in the cast not to take ourselves too seriously — and Helen, who was used to disrobing for the camera, led us on.
But I love a challenge and there was never any question of us wearing flesh-coloured coverings.
This latest instalment is her third novel about the inhabitants of Bellevue-sur-Mer.
Image: Chris Floyd Despite including tempting recipes for classic French dishes in her novels, she claims to dislike cooking and would even turn down a chance to appear on Celebrity Bake Off.
I had first-night-style nerves beforehand but, given that my character was supposed to be nervous, the anxiety actually helped.