Actress Julie Hesmondhalgh opens up about her life as a mother - as she reveals her kids find her scary.
The 50-year-old star, who is about to return to screens in new ITV drama The Trouble with Maggie Cole, has revealed that when it comes to parenting her two teenage daughters she's strict.
She confessed, 'Despite my public persona of being a bit of a pushover I'm pretty tough and they're a bit more scared of me!'
And Julie, who lives in Derbyshire with her writer husband Ian Kershaw and their daughters Matha, 18 and Lyss, 15, explained in her interview with My weekly, where it comes from.
She added, 'I'm the ones they listen to. I think I've emulated my own mum, who is incredibly loving, but definitely a matriarch.'
And Julie admitted her home life is "completely manic".
She said, 'There's a lot of shouting and laughing and play fighting. I'm making it sound blissful and it really isn't always - we're a pretty normal family. There's plenty of jumping out on each other and giving each other wedgies - too much of that stuff goes on for my liking!'
How does Julie Hesmondhalgh keep her cool?
And one way she keeps herself calm when dealing with the kids is exercise.
'I'm fitter than I ever was in my 30s and healthier in mind, body and spirit. I do a lot of dog walking, a bit of yoga in the morning. I started it mainly to keep me calm when my kids were growing up.'
She added, 'It's just ten minutes of stretches, but I do think it's changed my life. I'm stronger and don't get as ill nearly as much.'
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