Manuka Doctor was lucky enough to share a glass of wine over lunch with the lovely Vicki Michelle, best known for her role as Yvette Carte Blanche in the iconic 80’s comedy series Allo Allo. Thirty years on and Vicki looks just as young and vibrant as she did back then. Over a nutritious lunch, Vicki let us in on her trade secrets to looking so good.
It's no surprise to learn from Vicki’s slim frame that from a young age she trained as a ballet dancer, until a broken wrist put her out of action. Her illustrious acting career started after leaving school and attending a drama school, following in her Mother’s footsteps. It didn’t take long for Vicki to land her first West End acting role in Play It Again Sam with Dudley Moore. Following on she had a successful television career and eventually landed the role of Yvette Carte Blanche in Allo Allo. She has not stopped work since with stage, film and TV productions – not forgetting of course I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here
Vicki’s love of acting made her quickly realise her biggest asset – her voice. Without that, there would be no career. Her voice was something she needed to look after on a daily basis so a glass of warm water with lemon and ginger was her go-to tipple, and most importantly, a big spoonful of Manuka honey. This daily regime would often see her through major theatre performances including three shows a day for pantomime.
She first experienced Manuka in New Zealand when she was touring with the Allo Allo stage show in the 1980’s and she hasn’t looked back since. She makes sure she takes a spoonful of Manuka every day when performing and upgrades to a higher strength in the colder Winter months.
One of Vicki’s proudest day of her life was the day she accepted her MBE from the Queen. Vicki has always been in awe of the Queen, always standing for the National anthem!
It’s not just her voice that benefits from taking New Zealand Manuka, Vicki puts her young-looking complexion down to her love of natural and organic produce. Vicki is a strong believer that what you put into your body has a huge impact on how you look on the outside. She sees herself as lucky not to have a sweet tooth but makes an exception for her Manuka. She refers to herself as ‘terrific’ at winging recipes! Loving the freshness of juicy strawberries topped with Greek yoghurt and a dash of manuka honey – ‘delicious’.
Vicki’s top health and beauty tips –
- Always wear a smile, beauty radiates from within
- Upgrade your Manuka during the cold Winter months
- Drink warm water with lemon and ginger every morning
- Gargle with salt water and take Echinacea and Manuka honey
- Eat as much fresh, natural and organic produce where possible
- Don’t forget to moisturise your decolletage, Manuka Doctor Cashmere Cream leaves skin feeling lovely and soft
You can catch Vicki on Sunday afternoons playing a selection of Great music on her weekly show Vix Mix on Phoenix 98fm. “There’s a lot of Motown, Soul and Funk in every show” Vicki says, “I only play music that makes people want to get up and dance!” When offered a choice of Beatles or Stones, “it’s gotta be Stones all day long!”
You can find all of Vicki Michelle’s favourite products on the Manuka Doctor website.
