In The Closet: Holby City actress Belinda Owusu pulls off a stylishly comfy look

She left the Square in 2010, returning for guest appearances and going on to theatre work, including playing Desdemona in Shakespeare’s Othello. 

In 2017 she joined the cast of Holby City where she plays junior doctor Nicky McKendrick.

Belinda lives in east London.

How would you describe your style?

Comfortable and relaxed with a twist.

It’s understated but livened up with some accessories.

Which colours and shapes suit you best?

I’ve always played safe with greys and blacks because I struggle to dress my curvy shape.

I like an androgynous look but don’t necessarily suit it.

My way round it is with loose tunic, slightly edgy styles and I’m becoming more adventurous with colour.

Now I accept that I am never going to be a standard size, I’m embracing my body shape.

What about Dr Nicky McKendrick’s fashion sense in Holby?

Most of the time she’s in scrubs, which are basically baggy pyjamas, so it’s a joy to go to work and pop them on.

Nothing is more comfortable.

Also, I never get bored because each specialty has a different colour, so I regularly wear them in navy, plum and turquoise.

Off-duty you mainly see Nicky in black jeans and dark T-shirts and a variety of coloured neck scarves, which is so not me.

But that’s the fun of it.

It’s much more interesting to play a character who is so not you.

My favourite piece of Nicky’s is a pair of burgundy creepers with a massive platform from, believe it or not, Marks & Spencer.

Nicky is very different from Libby Fox, who you played in EastEnders…

Yes, but similar in the sense they are both very clever and driven characters.

Libby was only 14 when I started playing her at 16 and I was so pleased to be put in baggy clothes, mainly men’s T-shirts, dungarees and Timberland boots.

I looked like a construction worker.

With her scraped-back hair, no make-up and glasses, Libby didn’t like to draw attention to herself.

Her one concession to beauty was a tub of Vaseline.

What do you like to wear on the red carpet?

I didn’t buy my first dress until I joined EastEnders.

Soon after I was invited to The British Soap Awards, so I went to Debenhams – I’d never worn make-up – and asked one of the Lancôme consultants to make me up, then bought all the make-up she recommended.

My dress was a bridesmaid’s-type style in black with a cream lining and a bow under the bust and I teamed it with my first ever pair of kitten heels from Clarks.

My feet were killing me by the end of the evening but I got no sympathy because the rest of the girls were wearing stilettos.

My red-carpet style is a bit more grown-up now but I’m still learning.

Which is your favourite fashion era?

The 90s. I was born in 89 so my mum was buying my clothes back then and I loved the big cargo trousers, teeny tops, platforms, trainers and pops of colour.

It was the fun Spice Girls era and I was a huge fan.

What are your favourite high-street brands?

Monki for almost everything.

A new store has opened near me and I’m in there all the time.

Plus Sacred Hawk, which I buy through Asos, another fave.

Who is your favourite designer?

I don’t have one.

I can’t imagine liking anything so much as to justify spending such a large sum of money.

Also, I’m forever spilling stuff so I’d be terrified to wear anything too precious.

What is your best beauty secret?

Clay masks.

I’ve got very oily skin so I use them regularly.

They are great for balancing.

How many shoes and handbags have you?

I have lots of shoes – probably 100 pairs in total – which is everything I’ve bought since I was 16 and my feet stopped growing at size 5.

Fewer handbags, about 30, and none of them expensive.

What is your current favourite outfit?

A black Monki T-shirt dress, which I wear with a Asos denim jacket and black Vans plimsolls.

Is there an old favourite you turn to in a wardrobe crisis?

A pair of New Look black jeans which are more like jeggings.

They’re stretchy and fit like a glove, which I wear with a T-shirt and a ripped denim jacket.

What is your worst fashion buy?

A pair of Levi jeans that cost £150.

I’ve never worn them.

What is the most expensive item in your wardrobe? And your best bargain?

My All Saints biker boots at £500.

I went back to the shop three times before I plucked up courage to buy them, because they were so expensive.

But worth it because I’m still wearing them 10 years later.

The best bargain is a pair of denim shorts that were given to me by a friend, a former dancer.

They’re a great fit.

Who would you like to make your wedding dress?

I don’t think I’d wear a dress, I’d rather have a jumpsuit from the high street.

Have you a favourite little black dress?

A black Monki tunic dress with a little leather-like collar.

It’s very androgynous but I feel feminine and comfortable wearing it.

What is the one item of clothing you couldn’t live without?

Trainers.

I especially like Adidas, Vans and Converse.

Which item of clothing would you save from a burning house?

My All Saints biker boots plus a biker-style leather-like jacket I’ve had for about nine years, which is really battered but fits me like a glove.

Everything else is replaceable.