Detecting fun

AMANDA Holden envisaged her debut as a TV detective would be along the lines of Cagney and Lacey. "I always had delusions of kicking doors in and having a gun," she says. "But this was much more fun - I had to go out at dead of night with a headscarf and torch."

"This" is the third of ITV1's new Agatha Christie: Marple films, 4.50 From Paddington, in which the actress joins a star-studded cast which includes Pam Ferris, Niamh Cusack, Griff Rhys Jones, Celia Imrie, David Warner, Jenny Agutter and John Hannah.

As Lucy Eyelesbarrow, she's recruited by the spinster sleuth to infiltrate Rutherford Hall as a housekeeper in order to find a body. She admits that the costumes were one of the attractions of the role. Lucy, who's single and forthright, "travels the world and is terribly fashionable and wears loads of make-up" says Holden.

"I don't often get the chance to do a lot of period drama. I think everyone just sees me as a modern girl. So the chance to wear gorgeous frocks and wonderful hair styles really appealed. It's a brilliant chance for me to be worlds away from the kind of role that I normally get offered."

The actress says she never tires of going into make-up because you arrive looking absolutely dreadful and leave looking a million dollars. In a period piece, you can really see the difference. "When I'm doing Cutting It, for example, I look pretty much like Amanda Holden. But, as Lucy, my looks completely changes.

"I wear what's called a 'waspie' - it's a thick elasticated belt that really yanks you in. Wearing it, I reckon I've got the waist of a 13-year-old. The whole thing lifts you and helps you carry yourself in a completely different way, which really helps."

The Christie whodunit reunites her with Cutting It co-star Ben Daniels, who plays one of the prime suspects in the murder inquiry. "You always hope you get to work with actors again, so with Ben I couldn't believe it," she says.

"We play such different characters from Cutting It that it's been a lot of fun. Lucy uses her charm, especially on the character Ben plays. She's very bright, and uses all her female intuition to get what she wants." She doesn't know if scheming Mia will put in an appearance in the next series of BBC1's hairdressing drama Cutting It. "They would like her to appear again. I'm try to fit something I and I'll do it if I can," says Holden.

Last time she opted to star in the London West End musical Thoroughly Modern Millie rather than another series of Cutting It. "It was the biggest challenge I faced professionally," she says of singing and dancing in the show. "I would definitely do something like that again, but I'll be hard pushed to find a role that big and exciting."

She won't be back in a second series of the BBC comedy Mad About Alice. The scripts were poor, she admits, but the ratings were fantastic. "We were thrilled with that and said we'd do a second series if the scripts improved," she says. "It's very difficult to get a sitcom right. You can see the jokes coming six miles away. Lots of kids came up to me in the street and said they loved it. It was one of those things you could be a six-year-old or a granny and like it."

But another series isn't going ahead. A trip to try her luck in the US is also unlikely. She says she'll only go "if I'm invited and it's a good idea. I think LA is like a big party and the best time to go is with a ticket and not try to gatecrash it."

After her stormy and much-publicised marriage to comedian Les Dennis, she's used to being viewed as a personality rather than a performer. She doesn't worry about stories in the tabloids any more because "I know there will be somebody else coming along to take my place".

* Agatha Christie: Marple - 4.50 From Paddington is on ITV1 on Boxing Day at 9pm.

Published: 23/12/2004