Lucker has said to Mirror.co.uk that her life has changed so much in the last couple of years.
Now she spends most of her time with her fiancé Jim Herbert and their baby daughter Lilly.

Lucker says that her priorities in life have changed and now gone are the nights out with girls and the pressure involved with being in the entertainment industry doesn’t bother her as much now.

Lucker says

“My life used to be quite intense,”

“When I was working on Footballers’ Wives I was totally focused and didn’t do much to relax. I kind of went into myself and felt I needed to concentrate on work.”

“And when I had a break I was out and about all the time, having lunch with friends or heading down to the pub with my mates.”

“But that has all changed – I’m living in domestic bliss now!”

“I used to live in north London where everything was all-go,”

“But we’ve moved out to our gorgeous home in Surrey – and we even bought a dog, a Labrador called Maggie. It’s a world away from where I was a couple of years ago. I’m even cooking proper mum-things like lasagne and chilli!”

“Before I had Lilly I was so pre-occupied with work and what people thought about me,” she says. “I put myself under a lot of pressure and worried about always doing well and what the next job would be. Now my life is focused around my gorgeous family. I’m so happy.”

Lucker says that she was gutted to be voted off of Strictly Come Dancing after a dance-off with The Bill star Ali Bastian, but Lucker was quick to find the positive in it.

“It was really sad to be out and to suddenly have that gap where before I was rehearsing non-stop,”

“But it also meant I’d get to spend more time with Lilly which I was excited about. Earlier in my career leaving something so soon would have felt like a bigger knock, but I coped with it fine.”

“And in the couple of days after I was voted out, lots of exciting things started happening with Lilly. She took her first proper, strong steps and she suddenly grew teeth. She had toddled about for one or two steps before, but this was proper walking.”

“And she’d had these two little rabbit teeth for ages but we were so happy she suddenly got more!”

“It really cheered me up so I couldn’t get too worried about Strictly.” Being a good mum has been Zoë’s top priority – especially in the first few months after Lilly was born in September 2008.”

“I put on three stone during my pregnancy,” she says, “and it took quite a while to get back to my original shape.”

“But I wasn’t in a rush to lose the weight because I had so much else to think about – like how to be a mum. That was much more important to me.”

“I enjoyed being pregnant so much I didn’t want to be self-conscious about my body. I wasn’t smoking or drinking and it was liberating not to have to worry about everything I ate.”

“And I felt even more amazing when Lilly finally arrived – it’s an overwhelming experience, just how much you can love your child. Then you just have to get on with it.”

“It was difficult to go back to work, but you have to push yourself and remember it’s probably harder for you than for the baby.”

“We’ve got our parents who help out if I’m out at meetings in London, and our nanny is fantastic.”

The Strictly tour started last night but Lucker has said that childcare will not be a problem for her this time as Jim and Lily will be coming with her.

“It wouldn’t have been an option otherwise,” she says. “I couldn’t have spent that much time away from Lilly or Jim. He is self-employed so luckily he was able to take a bit of time off.”

When the tour ends Lucker plans to go back to acting or presenting.

“After I finished Holby Blue two years ago I tried out a bit of presenting,”

“I enjoyed it but drama is my first love, my profession. I opted for presenting when I was pregnant because I didn’t feel right playing someone who wasn’t pregnant.”

“I like to feel comfortable in my own skin when I’m playing a part, so I like to feel physically like the character.”

“With presenting I got to meet interesting people and visit some amazing places. Every day you get to do something new and the experience was fantastic.”

But unlike lot’s of other actors Lucker doesn’t think that soaps are the best place to be.

“As an actress getting a role in the soaps would be great,” she says. “I did a few episodes on Corrie years ago and I loved it. I love the show and Easties is fab too. But the hours would probably be too much for me. It’s so intense, and with Lilly still so young I don’t think I could have that much time away from her and Jim.”

The couple have been engaged since before Lilly was born have not yet set a date for the wedding.

Lucker says “We talk about it all the time,”

“But we haven’t been able to make any firm plans because things just keep coming up and we want it to be perfect.”

“There are so many things to plan we just haven’t got round to it – do we get married in a church, where will we have the party?”

Another thing that needs to be decided is whether or not she should let a glossy magazine photo the wedding.

“I don’t think we’d be up for that,”

“A lot of my close friends work in TV so I’ll have all of them as guests.”

“But I would hate for a photoshoot to somehow take over the whole day. Some people hate having their pictures taken so I wouldn’t want my friends and family feeling on edge.”

“But I guess you should never say never.”

Lucker also hopes to have more children.

“I was never sure how many kids I’d like,”

“But the more I see Lilly playing with other children, the more I think I’d love a little brother or sister for her.”

“She’s a very social child and I’d love her to have another little one for company all the time.”

“Even when I was so busy working in the past, I always knew the one thing I really wanted was to fall in love and have a family.”

“That’s what I’m doing now and it’s just as amazing as I hoped.”.

When asked if she got fit doing Strictly Come Dancing she said

“I really did. One minute I was my normal size, and the next I was doing the jive and my trousers fell down! It was extraordinary, but you are dancing non-stop.”

When asked how she stays in shape she replied

“I walk a lot, and just recently I’ve started doing Your Shape on the Wii. It’s like having a personal trainer in my own home, because the camera scans my body and gives me feedback on how I’m doing, then devises workouts for me. It’s absolutely brilliant. I hate going to the gym – it’s just not something I ever do, or ever have done – but I genuinely enjoy this.”

When asked if keeping fit was her New Year Resolution she answered

“Yes, that, plus to keep dancing and try to stop smoking. I’d also like to pass my driving test. I think that’s probably enough for now. I’ll fail if I try any more…”

She was asked if she was any good at sticking to resolutions she replied

“When I get focused on something, I’m quite determined. For me, the most important thing is giving up smoking. My one-year-old daughter Lilly has never seen me smoke, because I only have a couple when she goes to bed. I don’t ever want her to know I’ve ever done it, because I don’t want her to smoke, so I have to give up.”

When asked how body confident she was she said

“I think I’ve become more body confident as I’ve got older. When I was younger I felt more pressure to look perfect, but having Lilly last year was very liberating. I put on quite a lot of weight and I was a lot bigger than I’ve ever been. But now I feel like I’m in the best shape ever.”

When asked what her favourite part of herself was she answered

“I show off my legs at the moment. I might as well, because I’ll be 40 in five years, so I won’t be able to do it then. And I’m not averse to showing off my cleavage sometimes.”

She was then asked what body parts she wasn’t keen on she said

“I’ve always had to work on my tummy, especially since having a baby, and also my arms. They’re the two areas I put weight on most quickly. The older I get, the harder it is to lose it. I can’t just rely on eating salads. I have to stay toned by exercising as well, because if I lose weight everything goes a bit looser.”

When asked if she would ever have plastic surgery she answered

“I’d never say never, especially with the industry I work in. I couldn’t cope with anything too extreme, though. I saw a woman last week who had clearly gone too far. Her lips were massive and her skin was so taught I actually jumped when I saw her. She was terrifying. It makes me sad when I see women like that, because they must have such body-confidence issues.”

When asked what her diet was like she said

“I’m a healthy eater, but my other half (fiancé James Herbert) is always trying to make me non-healthy food, like sausage and mash with garlic bread. It’s gorgeous, but I couldn’t eat it every night. I like salads and fish and chicken and lean meat, but it’s about balance. I’d get bored if I couldn’t eat nice food. I love cheese and carbs – pasta’s my big thing. I’d eat it every night if I didn’t think it would bulk me up too much. And I love pizza, curry and anything with cheese.”

When asked if she had ever dieted she answered

“I have in the past. I tried SlimFast while I was at drama school and I attempted Atkins once, but I was waking up wanting pesto pasta with loads of cheese for breakfast. I don’t think diets work long-term, so I’ve resigned myself to the fact I have to eat healthily and exercise from now on.”

She asked is she a high street girl or a designer girl

“High street. H&M and New Look are my favourites, and sometimes River Island. I have a few nice designer bits from when I did Footballers’ Wives, like a lovely Gucci and Joseph dress and a few Betty Jackson pieces, but that’s it. I love designer bags, though, and I’ll splash out on them. My favourites are Prada, Gucci and Louis Vuitton.”

When asked if she will have a clothes clear out this New Year she answered

“Now, that, I do have to do. James has just done his and now I have to. My wardrobe is such a mess, but I can’t bear the thought of getting rid of anything.”

Asked if there is anything she won’t give up she replied

“Yes, wine! I always think I’m not going to drink, but I always end up having one or two. It’s relaxing and it represents downtime to me. I would never, ever drink at work, so it signals that I’m in a secure environment where I can wind down.”

when asked what products she uses on her body she answered

“I use a lot of Clarins Toning Body Polisher (£26) and Elemis Cellutox (£30). My friend Jo Wood has given me a gorgeous Jo Wood Organics Exfoliating Salt Scrub (£24) from her range. I like trying all sorts of products. I’ll rub anything on if I think it’ll make a difference. Fake tan wise, I use St Tropez (£20) every four days or so, because I’m so pale.”

Asked what else she couldn’t live without she replied

“Crème De La Mer (£160) for a treat, and I’ve discovered Space NK Talika Eye Therapy Patches (£34), which are incredible before a night out. They make wrinkles disappear. I used to straighten my hair so much when I was in Footballers’ Wives it was in really bad condition, so I now try to use dry shampoo and tie it up instead of washing it every day.”

Asked what helped her recover from the party season she said

“Clarins Beauty Flash Balm (£25) is a must-have for an instant glow, and I’ve also been using La Prairie Eye Gel (£93) – it really helps skin that’s been dehydrated by alcohol. If you get spots from overdoing it. Dermalogica Special Clearing Booster (£35) is the best spot treatment ever. It’s what I go back to time after time.”

Asked what her fave product of the moment was she answered

“Mascara’s my big thing. I use Dior Show (£20) and MAC Plush Lash (£12). I also love Max Factor kohl pencil (£4.49) and MAC Eye Shadow in Green Smoke or Club (£11 each). They’re nice, because they’re not too heavy. My Armani concealer (£22.50) is a must-have too.”

When asked if she would have a bathroom clear out she said

“Absolutely no way! It’s never going to happen. I love them all too much. I use more and more products every year. As soon as something new comes out, I get it. I believe everything a product promises and I’m a terrible hoarder.”

The dance off was between the Welsh boxer and actress Zoe Lucker both pairs scoring the lowest marks with the panel of judges.

After the dance off all four judges said that they wanted to keep Lucker and her dance partner James Jordan on the show .

Like a champ Calzaghe commented ”I’ve had a great time”, before he took to the dance floor one last time with his dance partner Kristina Rihanoff.

This leaves 11 couples now to dance next week .

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