Denise Van Outen may be an Essex girl, but in contrast to some of the stars of TOWIE, she is multi-talented and has a string of stage and TV successes behind her. Now she is just coming to the end of her first-ever UK tour, with a final run at Dartford’s Orchard Theatre of her one-woman romantic comedy. David Jones found out more.

Some Girl I Used To Know tells the story of a young woman at a crossroads in her life.

“But,” insists the tabloids’ favourite blonde Denise Van Outen, “it’s not my story.”

Denise and co-writer Terry Ronald started work on the idea of the show two years ago, but Denise’s successful spell on Strictly Come Dancing, with dancing partner Gillingham-born James Jordan, meant the project had to be put on hold for a while.

Denise plays Stephanie Canworth, who has it all: a successful career, supportive husband and she’s a media darling. But then a Facebook poke from a former love leaves her questioning whether this is the life she really wants.

The show, with its mix of music, songs, risque gags, laughs and pathos is the perfect stage vehicle for her.

While Denise declines to speak about her private life, her Strictly dance partner Jordan was reported last year as saying he had been in regular touch with Denise since her split from husband Lee Mead last July.

James said: “It’s been tough for her. I have been checking on Denise and it is a very hard time but she said the most important thing for her at this time is her child Betsie.”

Denise certainly has fond memories of her spell on Strictly in 2102.

“I really enjoyed it,” she said. “It was great fun, a bit like dipping into a big dressing up box for each show. But it was pretty tiring.”

But then touring with Some Girl I Used To Know isn’t exactly taking it easy is it?

“Doing a one-woman show is scary and I don’t mind admitting that at first I was nervous,” said Denise, 39, who now lives near Ashford.

“But once you get into it it’s OK. I talk to the audience a lot and once you’ve got them with you it’s fine. I missed a couple of lines of dialogue in the early days of the show, but I was the only one who noticed.”

She is dismissive of the derisory reviews the show received from some of the “quality” newspapers.

The Guardian produced the most snooty review of all, writing that one of Denise’s lines – “There’s no shortage of people wanting to rip off my knickers” – was one of the more sophisticated examples of humour in the show.

“Why reviewers from the broadsheets bother to come to the show I don’t know,” said Denise, who co-wrote the songs in the show.

“It’s a bit like one of the red-tops publishing a review of an opera. Some Girl I Used To Know is for a tabloid audience, a Facebook audience. I’ve had a standing ovation at every show. It does what it says on the tin. It’s not for a highbrow audience. It’s cheeky without being offensive and it’s the cheeky bits the audiences really loves.”

At the end of her first tour date, at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds, the audience jumped up into the aisles and some were weeping. It was a taste of the reception the show was to receive on its other dates.

Her audiences often have a strong female bias, but not exclusively so.

Says Denise: “I’ve had a lot of hen parties in the audience and quite a strong following from my Strictly days.

“There are a lot of laughs in the show but there’s a twist at the end of act two which catches people by surprise, though I’m not going to give the ending away. If you can make people laugh and cry in one show, then you know you’ve succeeded.”

So what next? All Denise would say is that there are plans for Some Girl I Used To Know when the current run finishes in Dartford, but she wouldn’t be drawn on what they were.

While describing Denise Van Outen as a national treasure might be a cliche too far, it’s no exaggeration to say that the unpretentious and likeable Essex girl next door has built up a loyal fan base which will flock to see her, whatever her future roles might be.