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Hotel Babylon
Starts Thursday 19 January at 9.00pm on 91Èȱ¬ ONE
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Tamzin Outhwaite plays Rebecca Mitchell, General Manager
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Tamzin Outhwaite is undisputedly one of the UK's most popular young actors. She is currently filming the drama serial, Vital Signs, for ITV, and before filming Hotel Babylon for 91Èȱ¬ ONE and Carnival, Tamzin was busy working on Walk Away And I Stumble, a two-part drama that was transmitted in November 2005.
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However, she still had time to get engaged to fellow actor Tom Ellis (soon to be joining the cast of EastEnders) which proved to be the biggest, most welcome surprise of 2005!
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"I'm very happy and getting engaged to Tom was just amazing – I didn't stop crying for hours – it was difficult to come back down to Earth," she says.
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Tamzin is clearly in love with life at the moment, and was looking forward to her short break following finishing work on Babylon.
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"Even though I only had four days off, they were totally precious and I always pack as much into my downtime as I possibly can," she adds.
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"I only had a few days between finishing Babylon and beginning Vital Signs so I made sure I enjoyed it," she laughs.
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From an early age, it was musical theatre that excited Tamzin and it was watching Natalie Wood in West Side Story that first excited her about acting.
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When she was 16, Tamzin left school to go to the London Studio Centre to study dance, but changed course to drama.
She then had eight years in various acting roles, including theatrical musicals and parts in various television serials.
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Alan Ayckbourn cast Outhwaite in Absent Friends and then she landed her famous role as Mel in EastEnders, which she played for over three years.
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Since leaving EastEnders, she has picked up a Variety award for her role in the 91Èȱ¬ film Out Of Control, which won the Edinburgh Festival award for best British film.
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Her television performances include roles in Red Cap, Frances Tuesday and Final Demand.
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Despite being engaged, Tamzin is adamant she will always remain close to her girlfriends.
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"As I've got older I've realized how important my female friends are to me and I can call them any time, night or day and know what comes out of their mouths is going to make sense," she explains.
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Holidays are important to Tamzin, as are her friends: "I often go away with my best girlfriends and while they are lying in the sun I am usually found beneath the waves diving… I absolutely love it. It's my thing."
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Tamzin has often been asked where her favourite hotel in the world is, but for her there is no more beautiful or peaceful destination than the Maldives.
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"It is just extraordinary. You are actively encouraged not to wear shoes on the island. You can just do whatever you want to do and if that includes staying in your pjs or bikini all day, that is your prerogative. I usually read books endlessly and of course mix it with the occasional dive.
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"I love the intimacy and peace of exploring the sea. It is just me and the reef and of course the sea creatures I meet on my travels - or maybe they meet me. It's all one big secret which is there to explore… it's gorgeous.
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"I've had a really busy year but I am always happiest when I'm working; and when great, fun parts come along like Rebecca it's so hard to walk away from them," she says.
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"Walking onto the set of Hotel Babylon every day was so much fun and I had the luxury of having one of my pals, Sarah, who was a supporting artist, on set too - which was just great," she laughs.
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"And of course as General Manager of a five-star hotel the costume designer Michael made sure Rebecca was dressed in the finest of suits, including Armani, Paul Smith, Prada, Jimmy Choo and Dolce & Gabbana," she adds.
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Working on Hotel Babylon certainly opened Tamzin's eyes to the goings-on in the industry and enlightened her on the seedier side!
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"I've been lucky and privileged enough to stay in some gorgeous five-star hotels around the world, but despite hearing stories and rumours, until I read Imogen's book (which I read a long time before I was attached to the drama), I had no idea what went on," she laughs.
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"It will certainly make me watch the staff more closely the next time I stay in a luxury hotel."
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