Gemma Arterton's friends think she should host a cooking show.

The British actress - who is married to Italian businessman Stefano Catelli - thinks she is at her ''best'' when baking for other people and loves explaining the processes she uses in the kitchen.

She said: ''I love cooking. I love to accommodate people and make them feel good and special.

''I particularly love baking - I'm a real English girl for that. I love making pastry and my speciality is a lemon meringue pie.

''All my friends keep saying, 'You should have a TV show, because when I'm doing my baking, that's how I act. I'm like, 'OK, now I'm going to do this...' and 'Now I'm going to do that...' I have my little apron on and everything. I love it. I think that's when I'm at my best, actually.''

The 'Tamara Drewe' star also admitted she only got interested in acting as a way to meet boys.

She told Britain's HELLO! magazine: ''I joined this drama group because I went to an all-girls school and there were boys in the group, so I thought, 'Aha!' But it was just a hobby. And then one of the teachers said, 'Hey, you know what, be an actor, you're good at it.' ''