Jack And The Beanstalk, Grand Opera House, York, December 11 to January 4

Likewise her husband, Stuart Wade, left the goldfish bowl of soap opera four years ago, but still he is billed as Emmerdale's Biff on the poster for this winter's Grand Opera House pantomime in York.

"We can't keep doing panto under the Emmerdale tag; it just becomes embarrassing after a while as we left ages ago," says Tonicha.

Indeed Tonicha will not keep doing panto. "Yes, I have an announcement to make. This is going to be my last performance," she says.

Fairy Peapod in Jack And The Beanstalk will be her farewell from the professional stage. A new career beckons, with only a medical and final interview to complete.

"I can't yet reveal what the job will be - and I'm superstitious, so until I get the letter saying yes I won't say more - but I applied in April, I've passed everything so far, and hopefully I should know by the New Year and will start in March. So I'll have had nearly a year to prepare for it and to really make up my mind."

Dear readers, I wish I could reveal more but I am sworn to secrecy. However, believe me when I say no one will guess Tonicha's new line of work. Watch this space for further developments.

"I've been promising myself to give up the acting profession; I've felt ready for a change, and for three years I've been saying I've had enough.

"Maybe that's because I'm a mum now, and I feel the need to do something sensible, stable and secure for our young family," she says. "I'm so interested in the field I'm going into and I felt I had to take the plunge now, because I didn't want to end up bitter when I reach 40 saying 'Oh, I never got my break'.

"So it's a nice feeling that I've really laid my acting ghost to rest, though I may come back to it later - and I have no regrets about doing this profession. It's provided an interesting lifestyle and I've met some amazing people."

Tonicha will give her all in her valedictory pantomime in York, just as she did in the title role in Cinderella at the Grand Opera House in the 2000-2001 panto season, when husband Stuart played the ebullient Buttons.

Stuart plays children's favourite Simple Simon this time, and he will continue his acting career but he too is taking on a new venture, setting up his own property development business in Leeds six months ago.

Pragmatic about the demands of house and family, he says: "Because you spend so much time 'resting' between jobs in the acting profession, it's very easy to get into a downward spiral and turn bitter, so I needed to use the skills I've got to make some money and to keep my sanity and still have some sense of purpose."

"Doing this seems to be the natural safety net, with 'TJ' Tonicha in constant work as well from early next year, so we don't have to worry about paying the mortgage."

Stuart was never comfortable with soap fame but is now happy acting and doing up houses, greasepaint and paint. "This new work satisfies my need to change things. I can go into a property, as rough as it is, rip things to bits and build it up again, so it's very therapeutic," says Stuart.

We tend to build up our soap stars, then knock them down. Now Stuart is doing the reverse process in his new business.

Jack And The Beanstalk, Grand Opera House, York, December 11 to January 4. Box office: 0870 606 3595.

Updated: 16:25 Thursday, December 04, 2003