Amanda Holden says she often thinks she is a ‘gay man in a straight woman’s body’ with a close group of gay best friends

REMEMBER that end-of-term feeling you used to get when you were at school?

Well, I’ve got that at the moment because it’s my final week of treading – or tapping – the boards in the West End.

After 10 months of Stepping Out, I can’t quite believe that, come next week, I won’t be jumping on the back of a motorbike every evening to hotfoot it through the London traffic to the theatre.

I’ll certainly be keeping my ’80s Vera wig as a memento!

As I’m one of the show’s producers, I’ll be taking the cast out for a few celebratory drinks later this week, but of course as so many of them are my very closest girlfriends, it won’t be “goodbye” just “see you soon”.

I’ve been thinking recently about how lucky I am to have made so many incredible friends through my job.

I know for some people, work is work, but for me there’s always been a crossover between my personal life and my career.

When I look back, I can match up so many of the jobs I’ve done with the mates I’ve made, or my “work wives” as I like to call them!

Like Sarah Parish, who I met doing Hearts & Bones way back in the early Noughties.

Then there‘s Angela Griffin, who I first bonded with on the Cutting It set and, most recently, gorgeous Alesha on Britain’s Got Talent.

My very closest friend in the world is Jane Wall.

We met at drama school a million years ago and she lives in LA now.

Even though we don’t see each other for months at a time, we just pick up where we left off as if we’ve never been apart, which is the sign of a true friend.

But I can’t claim to have an all-girl friendship group as I’ve got some really very special GBFs (gay best friends) in my support network, too.

Like my hairstylists Ben Cooke – who also tends to Victoria Beckham’s tresses – and Mikey Kardashian, not to mention my make-up artist Christian Vermaak.

I always say I’m a gay man in a straight woman’s body – maybe that’s why I love them so much.

They just “get” me and my naughty sense of humour!