‘I love being IN MY 60S!'

Actress Sally Dexter on growing old disgracefully as Emmerdale mischief-maker Faith Dingle

- SUE CRAWFORD

Ask Sally Dexter if she would rather have her youth back, with all its angst and worry, and the popular Emmerdale star is very quick to answer.

‘Given the choice, I would rather keep what I have now than have that time back; I was terrible in my youth!’ she laughs. ‘They say, be a warrior, not a worrier. In my youth I was more of a worrier; now I’m more warrior!’

Sally, who has played Emmerdale matriarch Faith Dingle since 2017, has had a wonderful career spanning more than 30 years. Since winning the Olivier Award for Most Promising Newcomer in 1987, her credits have included acclaimed roles in West End shows as varied as Oliver!, Sister Act, and Billy Elliot the Musical.

But it’s now, having reached the age of 61, that she’s her most content. ‘I love being in my 60s. I think there are real advantages to it,’ she explains. ‘I have a slightly more relaxed feel, I’m a bit easier in my skin, which is nice. I don’t worry so much about what people think. That’s something that has come with age.’

Even so, Sally admits she could probably still do with taking a leaf out of her quirky character’s book.