Stage: Bad Blood, Theatre Royal, Brighton, March 31-April 5

She's about to step on to the stage of Bad Blood - her first theatrical role since playing the genie in a pantomime with Lorraine Chase 16 years ago.

With half an hour to go until the first curtain call, Taylforth is stricken with nerves.

"I'm a bit better than I was on the first night," she says.

"I've never felt anything like that in my life. My heart was racing. I was breathing really fast, shaking and couldn't speak.

"Theatre's so much more daunting than doing television.

"You can't do a scene again if you don't like it. Last night I completely jumped a line and felt absolutely terrible.

"I hate getting anything wrong. I came off and said 'I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry.' But they said that's what happens in theatre - you sometimes go wrong. I'll just have to get used to that and the nerves."

In the eight years since Taylforth left EastEnders she's rejected stacks of theatre scripts but enjoyed reading the psychological drama Bad Blood so much she jumped at it.

She professes a love for the character - a beautiful, rich 40-year-old - the plot and the entire play but is missing her children, Jessica, 11, and four-year-old Harrison.

"Being with my children makes me happier than anything in the world," Taylforth smiles. "That's why I haven't done theatre because I don't like touring and being away from them for too long.

"But this was the only script that was really tempting."

As well as the theatre audiences turning up to see Taylforth on stage, millions of viewers have tuned in to see her as Jackie Pascoe in ITV1's Footballers' Wives.

Taylforth hasn't read a newspaper in years but if she had she'd realise just how much the media and public adore the series.

"It's mad isn't it?", she smiles. "People have told me they won't know what to do when the series ends. The other day a friend rang to say her manicurist heard Jason turns out to be Jackie's long-lost son and was it true?

"It's news to me. Anyway it can't be true. I'm far too young to have a son that age. Cheeky swines.

"Des O'Connor asked me if I minded playing a footballer's mum rather than a wife. But of course I don't. There aren't many 50-year-olds playing professional football.

"Not that I'm 50," shrieks Taylforth," almost leaping from her seat.

Playing a footballer's mum hasn't kept Taylforth out of the saucy storylines. Being reminded of the scene where her character has sex on a snooker table makes her dissolve into a fit of giggles.

"Oh don't!" she squeals, hiding her face behind her hands. "It was so funny. Christian, who plays Jason, had done an awful lot of sex scenes in the series so was used to snogging other girls. So he was all right about it but I was so nervous. I hadn't done anything like that.

"He's a really great bloke. But Jessica was saying, 'Oh mum what a shame you didn't kiss Gary Lucy', who plays my son. But I told her we're not going near that storyline."

Taylforth didn't let her daughter watch Footballers' Wives, with its sex and drug-taking scenes.

But Jessica twisted her arm by insisting all her friends were watching it.

"Eventually I let her watch a little bit and put my hands over her eyes if there were any rude bits," says Taylforth.

Despite the popularity of the series, Taylforth is still best known as her EastEnders character Kathy Beale.

"Taxi drivers still call me Kathy," she smiles. "And I still answer to it.

"But Kathy is still my favourite role and still has a huge place in my heart.

"EastEnders is like a big family and was 14, 15 years of my life.

"I've still got a lot of friends there and when we meet up it's brilliant, as if we've never been away."

Taylforth is particularly fond of Adam Woodyatt, who plays Ian, and watches her friends on screen as much as she can.

"I always like to see who is behind the counter at the caf and keep an eye on what Ian's doing," she giggles.

"Isn't Shane Ritchie doing a fantastic job playing Alfie? He looks like he's been there for years."

For tickets, call the theatre on 01273 328488.