by Emma Clayton

WHEN Lisa Riley signed up for Strictly Come Dancing, the nerves soon set in.

But her mum told her: "Darling, just be you" - and that's exactly what the Bury-born actress did.

Lisa went on to capture viewers' hearts with her skilful dance moves and joie de vivre during the 2012 series of the BBC1 show, which she was in shortly after losing her beloved mother to cancer.

The words "Just be you" stayed with Lisa, and inspired her to set up a fashion collection for sizes 14 - 32.

"I've always been obsessed by clothes, but when it came to dressing up for something like a wedding I ordered stuff from America because I couldn't find it here," she says. "On Twitter and Facebook loads of people asking where my clothes were from. I'd been offered to put my name to fashion collections but that's not me - if I'm going to do something I want to do it myself."

So Lisa researched fabrics and design, and set up justbeyouclothing.co.uk, inspired by her mother's words. The collection includes timeless classics and glamorous evening wear. "There's a beautiful rust-coloured sparkly dress that I named Robbie after my Strictly dance partner, Robin Windsor," says Lisa. "I have an eye for fashion and I know what suits big girls. It's about getting the right fabrics and styles to suit the bigger body.

"The average female size in the UK is 16. Attitudes are changing, and high street stores are recognising that most women aren't stick thin.

"Good clothes are vital to self-esteem. If you like your reflection, you feel good about yourself."

Lisa is currently entertaining audiences in Jack and the Beanstalk at the Alhambra. If she'd been born this side of the Pennines, she may have started out as a Sunbeam.

"I learned as a child dancer in pantomime. I started at the age of nine so I know how hard these kids work," she says, referring to this year's crop of Sunbeams, from the Sara Packham School of Dance. "They'll always remember this, it's a magical time that stays with you. I love that even now, with so much digital entertainment, children are still enthralled by panto. My nephews love it."

She adds: "Panto is a fabulous tradition, I never want it to end. And I love being back up north. Northern audiences are up for a laugh."

Friendly and grounded, Lisa is someone you feel you've known a long time. In the panto, in which she plays Spirit of the Beans opposite Alhambra stalwart Billy Pearce, Benidorm star Jake Canuso and Only Fools and Horses actor John Challis, she performs a spectacular dance routine, showcasing her Strictly moves.

"I loved Strictly; people had certain expectations of me then they saw that I really could dance. It's great doing my signature cha-cha in the panto," says Lisa.

As a child Lisa trained at the Oldham Theatre Workshop. She shot to fame as bubbly Mandy Dingle in Emmerdale and has since appeared in TV dramas such as Waterloo Road, Scott and Bailey and Kay Mellor's Fat Friends, and comedies Heroes and Villains and Bard to Verse. Her films include Butterfly Kiss and Secret Society, and theatrical credits include The Play What I Wrote, Calendar Girls and The Naked Truth. She also presented ITV's You've Been Framed and OK TV.

"Emmerdale was fantastic experience for a young actor and I loved Mandy. Life was never dull - she wasn't one of those characters who just goes into the Post Office for stamps - but I didn't see myself doing the same thing forever," says Lisa. "I've since played a range of roles - from sinister suspect Nadia in Scott and Bailey to dressing up in Sixties styles for George Gently to tortured soul Rebecca in Fat Friends. It was lovely to play Rebecca after Emmerdale because she was so different to how viewers were used to seeing me. I did lots of research into self harming."

She adds: "I didn't go into this business to do the same thing all the time. I liken it to Worzel Gummidge putting different heads on - as an actress I change myself according to who I'm playing. And I always wait for a script I believe in."

Lisa plans to continue combining theatrical work with film, TV and fashion design.

"My mum always said to learn something new every day. I'm 39 now and that's what I'm doing," she smiles.

* Jack and the Beanstalk runs at the Alhambra until January 24. For tickets call (01274) 432000.

* justbeyouclothing.co.uk