Actress Lynda Bellingham, who appears in Tuesday's edition of Gok's Fashion Fix on Channel 4, talks about her style successes... and failures. What was it like opening your wardrobe to stylist Gok Wan? "I wouldn't normally show my wardrobe insides to anyone you know! So I pre-empted his visit and went out and bought some new dresses, jackets and skirts!" Did it work? "Unfortunately not. I was on tour with The Calendar Girls in Cardiff and they had a 70 per cent off sale in a shop so I ended up buying a jacket and skirt. The skirt was all right but the jacket very middle-aged. It still had its labels hanging on it and as soon as Gok saw it, he said, 'Better take that to the charity shop!'." What was Gok's verdict? "He said there were about six different people in my wardrobe! I have got an image of what I'd like to be, which is Katharine Hepburn in trousers and Audrey Hepburn in jackets and skirts. But The Katherine Hepburn look would only work if I was 5'10" and slim enough to wear pleated, baggy trousers. Trouble is, I'm led by a bargain. I have to accept that I'm not Katherine Hepburn and never will be!" So what did Gok do? "Gok dressed me in a beautiful navy blue and white spotty frock and seven-inch red patent leather high heels so I was more like Audrey Hepburn!I know I'm middle aged, don't get me wrong, I don't want to be mutton dressed as lamb, but nowadays you can be a bit off the wall." What is your own style tip? "A good pair of shoes. I have 80 pairs. They can completely change people's perception of you. Even Gok couldn't fault me on my shoes, he loved them." What have you learned about fashion over the years? "I'm quite proud of the fact that I'm brutally honest with myself and I know how to hide my fat bits! I would never wear anything without sleeves. You have to spend more money on trousers and cuts when you're older." What was your worst fashion mistake? "I don't like women of a certain age with too much cleavage. But I'm quite proud of my bosom, so once I wore a black bra under a see-through body with my jacket over it. But in the wrong light, you could see right through it – just a cleavage in a black bra!"
