Hollyoaks actress Nicole Barber-Lane has confessed she's become a softer mum in real life since playing matriarch Myra McQueen. Myra arrived in Hollyoaks in 2006 as the head of the wild McQueen household, and has had her share of ups and downs with the family. Mum-of-two Nicole said: "I think like many mothers, she tries her best. Whether her best is up to scratch is another question. "She's certainly a very lenient parent, but also she would do anything for her kids, that comes before anything else." Nicole added: "I'm actually a lot softer as a parent through playing her, so that's quite funny. I think, 'Oh God, I'm a worse parent than Myra!'" The actress admitted her own kids weren't hugely impressed by her showbiz job. "They're not bothered to be honest. My husband's on Emmerdale too. My son just rolls his eyes. He's not really very impressed." Next week viewers will see Myra beg daughter Carmel Valentine (Gemma Merna) to come home in the wake of her tanning machine accident. Nicole said: "I've been really lucky recently, I've had some fantastic scenes with all the girls. I really feel like [that] Myra's sort of back, looking after the family."
