Caroline Quentin, 65, Pursues Postgraduate Diploma!

has revealed she is going back to school at the age of 65. 

'I recently wrote my first essay in 50 years,' the Men Behaving Badly actress has revealed. 

'It was part of my application to study for a postgraduate diploma in the history of art at the Courtauld Institute in London. I've just been accepted.' 

Writing for Saga Magazine, she explained: 'I left school at 16 with a couple of O-Levels and never went to university or did any higher education.' 

'I'm so thrilled to be doing it now.' 

Caroline, who has two children Rose, 26, and William, 22, who she shares with her husband Sam Farmer, added: 'The kids keep teasing me that I'll be able to get a student discount card and go to the Student Union bar.'

Her return to education comes after a tumultuous childhood, which saw the actress leave school at 16 to start earning a wage.  

Caroline was born in Surrey, the fourth of four sisters and the youngest by almost a decade. Her father was a pilot whose long absences from home ended in her parents' divorce. 

Her mother battled what Caroline now believes was bipolar disorder, enduring electroconvulsive therapy treatment and stretches in secure wards after multiple overdoses.

Despite the difficulties in her home life, Caroline won a place at a performing arts school in Hertfordshire. 

She was a gifted dancer, harbouring dreams of ballet, but her tricky family circumstances meant that she had to leave and was earning her living dancing in an end-of-the-pier show by the age of 16. 

Men Behaving Badly made her a household name in the late 90s since she appeared in every one of the show's 42 episodes drawing audiences of 15 million or more.

She went onto star in beloved series including Jonathan Creek, Kiss Me Kate and Blue Murder.  

Medication eventually stabilised her mother's mental health and the actress remained close to her until her death a decade ago.

As well as a return to studies, Caroline has also found a new vocation in recent years as a gardening influencer. 

As a young child she sought refuge in nature when her mother's health issues overwhelmed the family home, and has said that her own mental wellbeing is hugely benefited by being outdoors.

'I have a volatile emotional life. I get lows sometimes and I get highs as well,' she told Saga. 'The best thing is stepping outside, just listening to birds, being quiet, settling myself, listening to the wind in the trees – my blood pressure drops, my heart slows down.'

During the pandemic Caroline's son encouraged her to connect with others online after noticing his mother was feeling lonely spending so much time at home, away from busy TV sets. 

She set up CQ Gardens, an Instagram account which shares her personal gardening journey and has now amassed over 200,000 followers. 

'It literally turned my life around and made me feel I had agency over what I was doing, which I don't think I'd ever had before,' she said at the time. 

The popularity of the account led to Caroline writing and illustrating a bestselling book, Drawn to the Garden which she released in 2024. 

Her new book Drawn to Nature will be released in September.