Ananova:

Lynda Bellingham has revealed how her past as an Oxo mum is preventing her finding love again.

Bellingham, 55, became a fantasy mother to some with her performances in the gravy commercials during the 80s and 90s.

She said: "I recently met a gentleman and he came back to mine for coffee. We had a bit of a snog and then he said, 'I can't believe I'm snogging the Oxo mum.' I showed him the door straight away."

The mother-of-two divorced Nunzio Peluso after suffering years of physical and mental abuse. He was convicted of stalking her, fined and put under a restraining order in 2000.

Bellingham said: "I don't want to get married again and I don't want to share my life with anyone again. But I would like a little bit of romance in my life again."

The actress stars in the new series of BBC1's Dalziel And Pascoe and is next month in The Last Detective on ITV1, reports Teletext.

"In Dalziel And Pascoe, I'm playing my first granny, which is scary," said Bellingham.

"And in The Last Detective I play the redoubtable Councillor Balsam. I have framed my election poster to show just how disgusting I can look."