Soap stardom means a hot air-filled bubble of fame, a froth of headlines - and a sudden spate of dirty linen being washed in public. But not for Nicola Stephenson, Brookside's notorious nanny.

After seducing a Catholic priest and sharing THAT lesbian kiss on screen with Anna Friel, this sensible actress didn't let the publicity go to her head.

"The way I coped was to keep my private life very, very private," she says. "I have never been interested in being famous, or being a `star'.

"I just stayed ...

To read the rest of this article click here to take a free trial