You’d think Dervla Kirwan, one of the most respected TV actresses in Britain who is currently on our screens in Hearts and Bones, has had it all over the past few years. Blessed with talent and beauty, she first shot to fame in Goodnight Sweetheart and then, more prominently, in Ballykissangel. And since her brave decision to quit the series two years ago, the Dublin-born actress has had her pick of high-profile roles in TV dramas.

As she snuggles up to her boyfriend of the past two years, actor Darren Boyd, Dervla exudes happiness, her smile radiant and her tone genuine. “I can honestly tell you I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life,” she says. “Lots of wonderful things have happened to me recently and I’ve got a feeling they will continue to do so.”

As the couple recline on the white sofa that dominates Darren’s living room in his north London flat, he recognises how important Dervla has become in his life. “Meeting Dervla was like a meeting of two minds,” says the actor, who has appeared in the TV sitcom Kiss Me Kate and Channel 4’s Smack the Pony. “It feels as if it was always meant to happen.”

For the full interview with Dervla Kirwan, pictured at home for the first time with boyfriend Darren Boyd, see this week’s HELLO! magazine, on sale now.