Sammy Winward appeared in the latest issue of Fabulous Magazine along with fellow soapstars Helen Flanagan and Tiana Benamin
She's got a new love and a new outlook on life - Sammy Winward, 24, Emmerdale's Katie Sugden, tells us the secrets of her new-found sex appeal.
Talk to Sammy Winward about killer heels, designer garb and the latest mascara and you'll meet a blank stare. She might be Emmerdale's sexiest star (that'll be her blonde locks and cheerleader good looks), but being girlie doesn't kick it for this Bolton lass. Yes, she's done the obligatory lads' mag shoot but that was, she says, a mistake.
"I don't need loads of make-up or slick styling to think that I look good. Sexy for me is about not trying too hard," she says, perched on the edge of a leather couch, make-up free and wearing a blue chequered shirt. But like any woman, she still enjoys a bit of pampering, and the transformation into sexy starlet for our shoot makes a nice change from her off-duty look.
"If people saw me in the street, I doubt they'd think I was the hottest girl around!
"I feel sexiest when I'm happy and content about life. Right now, I'm in a good place with work and relationships. The balance is good and everything feels like it's finally fallen into place."
Just like her character's tendency for botched relationships, Sammy's love life has had soap-opera-style highs and lows.
"I'm very mature in the way I deal with break-ups," admits Sammy, who has a four-year-old daughter, Mia, with Blackburn Rovers footballer David Dunn, 30. "My mum says she's never met anyone who can move on like I can, but I've got more to think about than tears. I generally see the positives when relationships finish. They end for a reason.
"I've never cheated on anyone or been cheated on, but my character gives me an insight into relationships. Maybe that's why I cope so well when my own break down - it feels like I've been there and done that."
Sammy split from David in September 2005, then dated Robin Hood actor Jonas Armstrong, 29, for two years before work commitments drove them apart. Last August she was caught snogging current boyfriend, actor James Sutton, 27, her on-screen lover Ryan Lamb. The couple live apart, but she prefers it as it means more time with Mia.
"Mia puts my life into perspective," says Sammy who lives in a 600-year-old, four-bed house in Bolton, Lancashire. "I love nothing more than getting into our pyjamas, making popcorn, climbing into my bed and cuddling up in front of a film."
She won't flaunt it, but Sammy's more confident than ever about her size-8 body. And it's gone through quite a transformation.
"Before the pregnancy I was 8st and afterwards I dropped to 7st, which was too low for my 5ft 6in frame. I was breastfeeding and caring for a new baby so the weight fell off. Now, I'm 8st 3lb and I feel sexier," she says.
Green-eyed monsters look away now. It's been a year since Sammy exercised and she admits she's a sucker for takeaways. So what's her secret to keeping trim?
"I eat a balanced diet, and if I have a bad day I'll have a good day the next. I'm naturally slender but I don't know if it'll be the same in a few years time!"
Credit: NOTW, firkinhell and ray22uk
