So you don’t stick to salad on holiday?

Nooo, I don’t deny myself when I’m away. I just did a food and wine trip to Spain, and it was just gluttony. It was wonderful.

Any chance of Desperate Housewives coming back?

Oh, I would LOVE to. I miss being Gabby Solis. It’s still on telly around the world. But if the chance happens to do it again, I’d be the first one there.

Excellent news. AND we note you say ‘telly’. Do you have an affinity for us Brits?

Oh I do! I shot in Wales for the BBC and I was just in Scotland. I love the UK… Wales was so much fun. We shot in these beautiful castles all over the countryside. On my days off I went to Stonehenge, I saw Jane Austen’s house, I went to Bath. I love British comedy, and I was always a big fan of Jack Whitehall, so Decline And Fall was my dream job.

What qualities are you drawn to?

Humour. Victoria Beckham makes me laugh, she’s so witty and intelligent. The funniest things come out of her mouth! [cackles] That’s why we clicked.

What are you like together?

Silly, very silly. We stay in. We have sleepovers. We’re like home buddies. Two girls yapping about life. She’s funny, we laugh about life, about things that have happened to us. We’re always saying ‘What?? Oh that’s crazy!’

Drinking wine?

Yes! Actually she’s more a tequila girl though. I can’t do tequila, but she’s good. She could probably drink me under the table. [laughs]

You’ve got the skin of a woman 10 years younger. What are your secrets?

I’m a huge sunblocker. Not only sunblock, but foundations with sunblock. People want to know my make-up regime, but it starts with skincare. You can’t pile make-up on bad skin. I’m a serum, potion, moisturiser, eye cream kind of girl. I also do lots of at-home masks, L’Oréal has these amazing new clay masks [ Pure Clay, £7.99 ], they’re awesome. They’re such fun and they feel like a spa treatment.

How would your 20-year-old self feel about how your life has turned out?

She’d think it was fun. My 20 year old self always expected success but she didn’t know how. I didn’t know what I was going to do but I always knew the woman I wanted to be. And I think that’s who I am now.

What’s been your biggest life lesson along the way?

It’s probably a Maya Angelou quote. She said, ‘People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how they made them feel.’ So that is something I try to live by. I always try to make people feel good.

You split your life between different countries, but where in the world do you feel most at home?

In my husband’s arms. Wherever he is, that’s home. Half the time when we’re travelling I don’t even really know where we’re waking up. I’ll be like ‘where am I?’ But then I’ll see him next to me and I think, ‘You’re here. It doesn’t matter’.

Yes, she Cannes

"I love getting to talk about beauty," she enthuses. "There’s a real evolution going on. I’m into non-toxic products so for L’Oréal to come out with the Botanicals hair range that’s made from all natural ingredients – all organic, no parabens, no silicone, no colorants – is fantastic. It keeps your hair healthy and your colour in."

She tells us she grew up with ‘the scent of Color Riche lipsticks’, so it’s fitting she’s here for the launch of the limited edition Red Carpet shade, created to celebrate L’Oréal’s 20 years as the Cannes Film Festival’s official beauty partner.

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