22 February 2024 , 00:01
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Caroline Quentin reckons it's time for a change as she announces her surprising new career move.
The actress, 63, shot to fame as Dorothy in BBC's Men Behaving Badly, in which she starred alongside Leslie Ash, Martin Clunes and Neil Morrisey. However, she now finds herself with the unlikely title of 'influencer' after releasing her book, Drawn to the Garden, which stemmed from her posting photos on Instagram.
On her account @CQGardens, the star shares horticultural tips with her followers alongside a host of uplifting snaps of the actress, planning, planting and harvesting.
When asked if she considers herself an influencer after the success of her Instagram offerings, she said:“It does feel a bit like that! And why not? It's wonderful that, in my 60s, I'm suddenly doing something entirely different. I'm amazed that what started as an Instagram account has sort of blossomed into something much bigger.”
Caroline Quentin says she has become an unlikely influencer (Good Housekeeping / Joseph Montezinos)
The actress says it's 'wonderful' to be doing something different in her sixties (Good Housekeeping / Joseph Montezinos)The book promises readers will "find solace" in this "delightful horticultural journey" with Caroline as she draws on her life-long passion for gardening. Speaking to Good Housekeeping magazine about why the garden was so important to her, the actress admitted it was "security blanket", revealing: "My childhood was quite chaotic; my mother, who had bipolar disorder, would often spend time in psychiatric hospitals. When I was 10, I was sent to boarding school with these horrible, grumpy matrons and regimented bath and mealtimes.
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"I was a painfully shy child - I still am shy beneath my loud persona - and I remember being so homesick and discombobulated by everything in my life. But getting out in nature and watching things grow felt like time out from the 'real' world. It was an opportunity to leave all the sadness and scary things behind.”
Caroline boasts an illustrious acting CV, starring in productions, including Doc Martin and Blue Murder and the Life of Riley. However, she admits her work 'took her away' from children Emily Rose and William. Looking back on the time, she said: “God, I missed them. I mourned them terribly when I was away. I think that's probably why I feel so bad about it, because it left a hole in me. People said, 'Oh, they're young for such a short period of time', and I didn't listen; I thought I knew better, and I didn't. I should have said no to work and yes to them, but because I was the breadwinner, I thought I had to do it. Well, I didn't, did I? But you can't turn back the clock; you have to live with these things.”
Happily, Caroline has been with her partner, Sam Farmer, for two decades and credited her husband for helping her to achieve the success she has. Speaking about their bond, she said: "I feel very lucky because I wouldn't have achieved half of what I have without him.”
* The April 2024 issue of Good Housekeeping is now on sale