Denise van Outen has been blessed with friendships that follow her through her career – sometimes, even to the same jobs.
Such is the case with her friendship with Kimberley Walsh, who has worked with the actress, presenter and performer on everything from Strictly Come Dancing, where they both finished as runners up, to climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for Comic Relief.
Now, the pair have collaborated with One4all to encourage the public to cherish their friendships this festive season.
"Our paths have crossed quite a lot, because of our work, which is probably what has helped to keep our friendship very solid", she tells RTÉ Lifestyle. "I mean, we would have stayed friends anyway, but we tend to sometimes end up at the same events or go for the same jobs, but we've just stayed very firm friends.
"And honestly, she's one of the nicest people I know in the industry. There's no ego. She's just lovely and equally like Kara Tointon is another one of our really close friends. She's the same. You make time for each other."
Like many of us, the pandemic has only brought these friends closer together as birthdays, celebrations and spontaneous wine nights had to be swapped out for Zoom calls and long FaceTimes. Others, Denise says, changed with the pandemic and maybe fell away.
"There are some friends that we made a lot of effort to speak, and it solidified more friendships. There were others that you realise that just friends that you know through friends or something. They're not like someone you ring up when you're really wanting someone to talk to or a shoulder to cry on.
"At the same time, there are also a lot of the friends I've got like, fun friends that I know from when I used to have nights out. But I do miss the company. So in 2022, I really want to try and make the effort to see some of those people."
The pair aren't short of bonding experiences between them already, as Denise recalls. "Definitely Kilimanjaro was one of them because I'm a bit of a tough cookie, and I've got sort of funny memories, actually, of Kimberly and Cheryl just getting to the top of the mountain and they looked dishevelled and just looked so worn out, they literally thought 'I can't do any longer. I'm done'. And I had to practically push them both up the mountain. And she said if it wasn't for me, she'd never have got there."
Denise is quick to praise Kimberley for helping her through tough times, too, as she says: "When we did Strictly Come Dancing, I struggled because I had a two year old, and I was trying to juggle being a mom and the pressure of doing the show and Kimberly supported me and held me up through that experience.
"It's quite funny because we've actually gone through some quite big momentous occasions in our lives, and you sort of forget when you're friends that you don't think about, but they're quite bonding moments."
Her friend traditions for Christmas are comparatively pared back: no wild night's out, but instead some good food, good conversation and good company.
"I've been friends with Kimberley for a long time and we always have an annual Christmas get together. Previously, we would have gone out to a restaurant, but this year, which was only last week I went over to her house and it's just myself, Kimberly and Kara Tointon. We're friends from old. We just had a nice meal at Kimberly's house, a chance to have a proper chat."
While her Christmas celebrations are using "hectic" affairs, last year's Christmas was much more pared back, as will this year's, Denise says.
"I've kind of forgot what it's like to go and have a big Christmas gathering because it feels like it's been so long. We'll have to see because obviously with restrictions. And also I've got about five friends who messaged me saying that tested positive. They're all cancelling. It seems to be spreading everywhere."
For her, female friendships and relationships are vitally important, all part of the "sisterhood" she shares with her daughter Betsy and the many female friends she's kept over the years.
"My female friendships have got me through my toughest moments in my life", she says. "I've got a really good group of friends, and for a number of reasons, they've in some way taught me something about myself or shaped my life or supported me when I became a mum in the early days. It's really important.
"I think as much as women can be very hormonal and have that, we all get each other because we all know those feelings. I'm at an age where I'm going through the perimenopause, and then I've got an 11 year-old daughter who is hormonal because she's a teenager.
"But we get each other because I only have to turn around and say, 'Look, Mommy's having a very hormonal day', because she's the same. She says, 'I know, I know that feeling.'
"And that's our common bond, in the sisterhood, as we all know those moments."
Being so open and honest with her daughter is something Denise holds dearly, given she was a "single mum for five years with her". "I just want her to understand sometimes you're not feeling great or irritated. We talk very openly about those things.
"When I was growing up, it's no fault to my parents, but I had a brother and sister, I suppose my mum, sometimes wouldn't talk about things because it'd embarrassing for my brother. So we never had a lot of open conversation about things like that.
"I remember my nan never mentioned the menopause, but when I thought back to it, I remember we thought she had depression, but obviously she was going through menopause and it just wasn't spoken about. But all of those things I think are so important to discuss now."
