Pauline Quirke is best known for her role as Sharon Theodopolopodous in long-running comedy series Birds of a Feather. She celebrated 45 years last year on TV, film and stage, and has 135 branches of her acting academy around the country, including two in south Bucks (High Wycombe and Amersham).

She, alongside fellow celebrity Penn resident Mary Berry, recently judged a charity carrot cake competition in Penn where, ahead of her academy’s 10th anniversary, she spoke to the Bucks Free Press about cakes, cooking and the children who have walked through the doors of her academy.

Speaking about the competition, she said: “Carrot cake is my favourite so that was in my favour. They all tasted very different so it wasn’t hard to choose [a winner].

“They are all pretty damn good. I’m useless at baking. I love cooking, really love it - my kids will get my cookery courses for birthdays and Christmas – but baking is just not my thing, it’s a whole different world.

“It’s a science and I was rubbish at it at school. I think all I did at school was make some rice crispy cakes. Baking is really not my thing, I really admire people that can do it.

“And I love Bake Off, I’m obsessed with it, with professional Masterchef – any cooking programme, I’m obsessed and glued.”

Pauline waxed pride as she talked about her academy, saying their film festival, where the children enter their film and TV projects every two years to be judged by a panel that includes directors, TV writers and actors, received more entries than it ever had before.

She said: “We had to have two screenings. I’m very proud of it. We get really good feedback from parents and children to say they are having a ball.

“We focus [just as much] on the children who are shy and never put themselves forward for anything as the children who absolutely love it.

“I have seen children come and go over the last 10 years, and I remember their first day. One little boy – I remember he was absolutely traumatised.

“He wouldn’t let go of his mum, he was about 7 at the time. The children do shows every year at Her Majesty’s theatre and this summer he was in it – but I remember that little boy when he started.

“He was getting very distressed we said to the mum try him again next week, he doesn’t have to stay if he doesn’t want to – and she persevered and now he’s here, which is great.”