Stripping off for Closer’s exclusive photo shoot, Gillian Taylforth grins as she reveals a bikini body that’s worthy of a woman half her age. But the 57-year-old former EastEnders star – whose frequent dips in the Celebrity Big Brother hot tub won her a legion of male admirers – seems genuinely bemused by the attention.
“When I came out of the house, so many people told me how fantastic I’d looked in my bikini in the hot tub! But I didn’t even think about it before,” says size 10 Gillian.
“I actually don’t own a swimming costume, so when the CBB producers said there was going to be a small pool and a hot tub in the garden, I just took in what I had at home, a couple of bikinis. I actually prefer a bikini because I think I look OK in them. I try to look after myself and it’s nice to be able to wear what you want to wear.”
And mum-of-two Gillian – who first found fame as streetwise Kathy Beale in EastEnders 28 years ago and later in Footballers’ Wives and The Bill – reveals that flaunting her incredible body in the CBB house has earned her a much younger fan base.
“My daughter Jessica, who’s 21, told me some of her male friends said I was a MILF after they saw me in CBB,” Gillian cackles. “It’s really embarrassing – I didn’t know what she meant at first and, when she did tell me, I nearly died!
'My daughter told me some of her male friends said I was a MILF. It's really embarrassing... I nearly died!'
“Last year, me and my son Harrison [13] went to visit Jessica in Tenerife, where she was working and doing some travelling, and she told me I had a few admirers among her friends. She was like: ‘Keep your eyes off my mother!’ I couldn’t stop laughing because, even though I don’t have a problem wearing a bikini on the beach, the last thing on my mind is who’s looking at me.
“And while there’s all this talk of me supposedly being a cougar – another word I didn’t know – I’d never actually date a toyboy. I’d be too conscious about looking good all the time – that would be exhausting!”
And despite a wave of complimentary comments about her sensational figure on internet forums, Gillian brushes off her sex symbol image, telling us: “It really shocks me that people think I’m sexy! I’ve never seen myself like that. But I’m doing this shoot so I can look back when I’m old and grey and remind myself that I was quite all right once.
“I’m actually not very good at accepting compliments. I’m a total tomboy – whenever you see me out and about I’ll be in my Timberlands and jeans. So it’s fun to glam up for Closer – like it was on Footballers’ Wives.”
The 5ft 6 star, who weighs around 8st 6lbs, admits that her slimline figure is down to a strict regime that means she never has a day off from some form of exercise. Gillian reveals: “In the past couple of years, I’ve started doing Zumba three or four times a week, which really keeps me in shape. I have a set of three hand weights from Argos, so I try to do a few reps of those every day. In the CBB house, I worked out on the treadmill every day for about half an hour.”
She adds: “Over the years, I’ve built up routines around what part of my body I want to work on, so I’ll do a Callanetics DVD [repetition of small movements to improve muscle tone in a particular area] if I want to firm up my bum, or some extra weights if I feel I need to tone my arms.”
'It really shocks me that people think I'm sexy! I've never seen myself like that'
As for diet tips, Gillian’s only rule is to fill up on veg. She says: “I eat healthily and I don’t eat a lot of meat. I’d rather skip the meat and have the veg when I have a meal!”
And youthful Gillian says she’s unlikely to copy her CBB housemate Heidi Montag – who once had an incredible 10 cosmetic surgery procedures in one day – and go under the knife any time soon.
“At the moment, I wouldn’t have surgery. I’m really lucky that my face has held up as long as it has, but never say never. You don’t know what the future will hold – I might wake up one day and find all the years have caught up with me,” she admits.
“I’ve always been fanatical about skincare and I’m very close to having my own range out later this year, which I’m so excited about. I believe that looking after your skin with a decent cleanse, tone and moisturise routine is the key to staying younger for longer.
“But I’d never have fillers. I don’t like the way they look – I want to see me, not someone else, when I look in the mirror. I had some intensive vitamin E treatments on my face before I went into CBB, and that seems to have helped to plump out the skin a bit.”
Gillian, who was fourth to be evicted from the show, has only nice things to say about former housemates Claire Richards, Tricia Penrose, Frankie Dettori and Rylan Clark, but she’s not so sure about US reality couple Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt.
She laughs: “I just wanted to say to them: ‘What on earth would you do if something happened to your partner?’ because they are so totally wrapped up with themselves. I don’t think they have any other friends, really. It’s a very strange situation.”
'I've had enough relationship headlines to last me a lifetime!'
Gillian remains coy about her boyfriend-of-six-months, former stockbroker Dave Fairbairn, 56, but it’s clear she’s head over heels for him. She tells us: “I’m happy, but you have to keep some things private and that’s what I’m trying to do with my relationship now. I’ve had enough relationship headlines to last me a lifetime!”
Just after Gillian went into the CBB house last month, it was revealed that Dave had been released from prison two years ago after serving seven years of a 15-year sentence.
The star previously dated businessman Geoff Knights for 23 years until their split in 2009. Gillian says of her ex: “He’ll always be the father of my kids, so of course we get along for them. But I’m happy in my new life.”
Now, Gillian’s looking forward to working on an exciting new TV project, which she’s sworn to secrecy over. And she insists getting older in the showbiz industry doesn’t faze her. She adds: “Loads of actresses I know lie about their age – they know who they are! I’d never lie about mine – I’m proud of every year and the fact that I’m still here. I even love the odd wrinkle – I’m 57 years young!”