Ali Bastian's Hollyoaks uni days

Ali Bastian\'s time at \'Hollyoaks\' felt like her "version of university".

The 36-year-old actress played Becca Dean in the Channel 4 soap for six years until departing the show in 2007, and she loved her time on the programme because she made so many friends and "learnt a lot".

She said: "It\'s 11 years since I left, which is quite a long time, so, yes, it does feel like ages ago.

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"I loved my time on \'Hollyoaks\'. It was a bit like my version of university in the fact that I learnt a lot and made friends for life."

Despite departing the fictional village 11 years ago, Ali is still in touch with some of her former co-stars, Jodi Albert (Debbie Dean) and Carley Stenson (Steph Cunningham), and Sarah Jayne Dunn, who recently reprised her role as Mandy Richardson.

Ali said: "I was at Sarah Jayne Dunn\'s hen party the other week and I\'m looking forward to going to her wedding in a few weeks\' time.

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"Then there\'s Jodi Albert and Carley Stenson, who were in \'Hollyoaks\' at the same time that I was. We\'re still very much in touch."

Ali recently got engaged to her stage actor boyfriend David O\'Mahony following an 18-month relationship, and they have booked a date in March next year for their nuptials, and are planning to have a blessing in Bali.

She added to Soaplife magazine: "Although we\'d discussed marriage, it took me completely by surprise.

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"I still think, \'Has this really happened?\'

"We\'ve booked the register office for March next year so we\'re taking it from there.

"We\'re planning three celebrations. We want to get married in London followed by a cocktail party, then a blessing in Bali."