Daytime television watchers may recognise this woman.

Southport's Sophie Abelson plays bubbly nurse Cherry Malone in hit BBC soap Doctors. She was recently nominated at the British Soap Awards for both best newcomer and sexiest female. Miss Abelson, 29, has been starring as Miss Malone for the past year-and-a-half.

She tells People: "Cherry was bought into the show to lighten the tone. She's a comical character who likes pink and fluffly things and is desperate to find Mr Right." Miss Abelson has been involved in some of the show's most gripping storylines. "It's been great and a real challenge. I was bought in as a bit of a comedy character but have also had to play some really serious scenes, such as when I woke up in bed next to my dead boyfriend last year. And there are some more good storylines coming up.

"Whereas the other soaps have around 60 regulars, we only have 12 so we are inundated with storylines. There's never a dull moment."

Before landing the role in Doctors, Miss Abelson, who spends her working week in Birmingham, appeared in Death of a Salesman at York Theatre Royal. Other credits include As You Like It at the Derby Playhouse, directed by David Freeman, She Stops to Conquer for the Royal Exchange Manchester, and Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick at the Bolton Octagon in which she played Barbara Windsor. She recently filmed a new pilot Call Mickey, directed by Peter Richardson.

Doctors, which is screened on weekdays on BBC One at 1.45 attracts around 2.5 million viewers.