Caroline, 60, is hoping to dance her way to the Glitterball trophy on Strictly Come Dancing, which launches tonight on BBC1. Famed for her roles in Jonathan Creek and Men Behaving Badly, the actress lives in the gorgeous county of Devon.
Asked about her style, she said: “Modern country. In the kitchen and the boot room, we have concrete aggregate floors.”
Confirming her love for the garden, she continued: “My hobby and passion is the land. I have planted an extensive orchard and I grow all my own vegetables. I also pick sloes to make gin.”
Describing her life in the countryside, she said: “I live in the countryside. Everything is a bloody disaster.
“We’re on a hill, in the full face of the weather. If it rains a lot, we get a load of water in the sitting room.
“I was about to do a play at the National Theatre which was cut short as we all went into lockdown, so I was reeling a bit from that.
“Then Strictly came, and I thought, this might be something just delightfully fun.”
She explained that the “bleak” situation we have all found ourselves in this year drove her to do something “joyful” not only for herself, but for her family and friends too.
“God Almighty people love it,” she laughed, “It was definitely the right choice!”