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Anna Matheson & Megan Shaw

Emmerdale legend Claire King on why she loves her Yorkshire hometown and will never leave

Emmerdale actress Claire King is best known for her iconic role as Kim Tate in the long running ITV soap.

And as the legendary soap star approaches her 60th birthday this month, she has revealed why she will never move out of her Yorkshire home town of Harrogate.

In an exclusive interview with OK! magazine, Claire was asked what she loves about the historical North Yorkshire town she calls home.

You can find all the latest Emmerdale news, gossip and spoilers by visiting our homepage dedicated to the ITV soap

She said: "I’m still here! I’m in the dales, about ten miles out, I’m still very close. I just love it. It’s changed over the years, but it’s always been a beautiful spa town.

"We have the stray, which is a big area, that’s mainly grass and all through the centre. We have all the shops. Because it’s a spa town, there are beautiful buildings.

To read more from Claire and see exclusive pictures from our shoot visit OK.co.uk or pick up this week's OK! magazine, out now.

"It’s just got that lovely homely feel, I suppose it’s quite a homely feel. Great shops, fabulous restaurants. It’s just a really nice place to be.

Asked what her favourite local restaurant was, Claire revealed: "I have a place in Spain, so we love tapas and Spanish food - a favourite of ours is La Feria.

"It’s got a big outdoor area as well as inside, loads of space, you can eat as much or as little as you want. They do Fino by the bottle as well.

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"It’s lovely on a summer day to sit outside, and in winter it's great too. The staff are fantastic. We’re not talking about Michelin food, but it’s nice and relaxed and a really great place to go to.

"Then I love a seafood restaurant, which I went to on my birthday - The Crab And Lobster - which has been a mainstay for decades and it’s fabulous."

Ahead of her milestone birthday this month, actress Claire also opened up on the pressures she feels to maintain her appearance and how men and women of age are represented differently in the media.

When asked if there is pressure on actresses to stay looking young, Claire told OK!: "Yes, there’s an immense amount of pressure.

"Men in their 60s and 70s are labelled silver foxes. As soon as a woman is 40 it feels as though she’s labelled as ‘past it’.

"That’s why I’ve kind of bucked the trend with not having any surgery."

The star, who has also appeared in Coronation Street and Bad Girls, said she will continue to age "disgracefully" and won't be turning to surgery to keep her youthful looks.

She added: "I can’t be bothered with the maintenance of it, plus the cost. Some people go too far and look a bit off. I think a little bit of character to the face shows you’ve lived life, enjoyed it, got your laughter lines.

"My face is my face, I’ve earned these lines, it’s characterful. And in these days when everyone is so obsessed with appearing ageless, it’s made me go the opposite way and say, this is me and if you don’t like it then tough!"

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