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Stunningly attractive and charming when she wants to be, daytime TV presenter Lou Foster has quickly worked her way up the media ladder.

On a superficial level, she has an amazing ability to charm and knows how to flatter, but her mood can change in an instant and she can be hugely selfish and unreasonable.

Although Lou likes the attention she gets from men, she has always secretly fancied women. Lou doesn’t like the idea of being viewed as a lesbian, but she is desperate to sleep with a woman and her relationship with Tess brings out the best and worst in her.

Tell us about Lou

She's a TV presenter who's climbing the career ladder and is terrified of it getting out that she has feelings for someone of the same sex, because she thinks it will damage her career prospects.

Nor does she want the press to get hold of the fact she's also sleeping with a married man.

Is Lou is bisexual?

I'd just say she's a little bit greedy! I think she's always harboured secret feelings for women and maybe she's had flings with women in the past, who knows, but nothing has ever got out.

She doesn't think of herself as a lesbian per se, maybe just as someone who experiments from time to time. I don't think anyone could put a label on Lou – with her it's more a case of just falling in love regardless of gender.

How would you describe her TV presenting style?

Watching Christine Bleakley was my research because she's from a similar part of Ireland, but Lou's presenting style is much more cringe-making, grinning and hammy.

Is Lou someone you could be friends with?

I do like her and I reckon she's quite nice on the inside but, on the outside, she's very insecure, career-obsessed, quite manipulative and always worrying about how she'll be perceived if it comes out that she's having a relationship with a woman, which I think is quite sad in a way.

So, yes, I think I could be friends with her, but I'd sit her down and say "Look, it's okay to be vulnerable and it's okay to have a relationship with a woman."

Also, after spending two years of my life as a crazy, depressive alcoholic in Hollyoaks, with black eye shadow running down my face from all the crying, it's nice to be playing a character now who is a fun TV presenter as opposed to a total lunatic.

Did you enjoy shooting Lip Service in Glasgow?

It was absolutely freezing because we filmed in December, but the people there are so warm. There was one super friendly place I went to for breakfast and I had the most delicious poached eggs with kippers on granary toast there every single day. I'm a big foodie so it was so nice to be somewhere where there was good food and good company.

It's an amazing city and I would happily go back and film anything there. I'd live in Glasgow if I could. I can't praise it enough, it's the nicest place I have ever worked and I've worked in a lot of nice places.

Is this the first time you've played a gay character?

It is, actually. And I've played another lesbian since – I had a small part in E20, the EastEnders spin-off, and I was played a gay character in that.

I'm obviously now the person to call when someone's needed to be a lesbian. But I don't actually think of Lip Service as a lesbian drama. It's just a witty and fun series that focuses on relationships, where a lot of the characters just happen to be lesbians.

How was it kissing another woman?

Absolutely fine. To be honest it doesn't make any difference to me although kissing a woman is probably a little bit softer. As an actor I felt quite normal about it – I've had to kiss men who I don't find attractive many times so it's no different to be kissing a woman who I don't fancy either.

Although I'm sure it looks like I do fancy her because what we had to do was pretty full-on. We were shooting some quite raunchy scenes, which I found rather nerve-wracking, not because I was doing it with a girl but because we were half naked and you want people to feel it's real.

Apparently you had a When Harry Met Sally-style scene?

Yes – I have a scene like that and it really does turn into a When Harry Met Sally moment. I would like to add at this point that I was encouraged to ham it up and make it a lot louder than it ever would be in real life. Luckily my mum is very liberal and she read that script and just said I should make it the best it could possibly be and make sure people believe it.

My mum certainly isn't a prude, nor is my brother, so I think I'm lucky to have a family like that. But perhaps my grandma over in Ireland might think a bit differently about it.

Did you hang out with your co-stars off-screen as well as on?

Oh yes, and we got to know each other really well so I really hope the chemistry we have as friends in real life comes over in the show. Actually, we went clubbing in gay bars in Glasgow together which was fun.

A few girls recognised me in one club from Hollyoaks and asked me what I was doing there. When I told them I was making a lesbian drama set in Glasgow they were like: 'No way? Brilliant!' They were so excited about it.

What's next on the cards for you?

I have a small cameo in a horror film called F, where I die in quite horrible circumstances – I actually get my jaw ripped off. Nice, eh? So that's one to go and see if you're not even remotely squeamish. My advice would be it probably wouldn't make a good date movie.