Emmerdale actress Natalie J. Robb loves Rome

My Favourite Holiday: Natalie J. Robb.

“The only place I really remember as a kid was the Norfolk Broads where we’d hire a boat and even then really because I got bitten by a swan.

“In my teenage years it was quite often Spain as my mum lived there for a while.

“And I also had breaks in Germany because my big sister Collette moved there when she was 18. It was around Essen but Cologne was a bit livelier and I really like Berlin.

“The first big holiday I went on was to Antigua, which is really glamorous. And I’ve been to the Maldives a couple of times.

“The second time was to learn to dive. It was a four-day training course, which was pretty tiring, and then a couple of days having the amazing experience of the underwater world.

“The water is stunningly clear although, sadly, I haven’t kept the diving up since.

“But I went there the first time just to chill out and there’s no better place. It was a real treat to myself and is so beautiful, it’s like paradise.

“The absolute opposite of that laid-back life is New York, which I absolutely love. Some people don’t like the noise and bustle but to me it’s so alive.

“I just like the vibe. It seems like a giant movie set and with all the sights and the great restaurants, it’s got the lot.

“I felt quite at home there. I’ve only ever been in winter so I’d love to get back in spring and see it in a different season.

“One of my favourite holidays was this year when I went to Ibiza with some of the girls from Emmerdale.

“Time was tight so we could only get away for a few days. I was with Laura Norton (Kerry), Sammy Winward (Katie) and Isobel Hodgkins (Victoria). Jamie Shelton, who plays Robbie, came over too.

“When you get a bunch of the cast from a big soap it wasn’t surprising that we got noticed a bit, but it wasn’t a hassle. Everybody was dancing away and just feeling happy. It all had a lovely feeling about it.

“One place I’ve always wanted to visit is South Africa but the one trip I’m more likely to do first is to Italy.

“It’s hopefully going to be a road trip. My friend’s Italian she’s from Rome but bizarrely she hasn’t really seen her own country.

“So she’s planning to discover it while taking me round sounds fantastic!”

Natalie J. Robb is one of Scotland’s best-known actresses. She came to prominence in STV’s High Road but has appeared in a host of top shows since, from The Bill and EastEnders to Holby and Silent Witness. For the past few years Natalie, 39, has been playing Moira Barton in ITV favourite Emmerdale.