'Well,' she was saying, on subject of children, 'I'm a normal girl and I suppose in time, I'll want to do I the things that other normal girls do.' She hadn't realised that 'in time' would mean September, when the child she expects with boyfriend David Elliot is due, It's not, 29-year-old Helen would be the first to admit, the best timing. But it's a mark of how highly regarded she is as an actress that the makers of Friends, who have already had to change storylines to cope with Lisa Kudrow's real-life pregnancy, are prepared to accommodate Helen. In March the entire cast were in England filming a wedding scene that will be part of the very last episode of the series currently being shown on Sky One. Helen plays Emily, the English niece of Rachel's boss, who manages to captivate the dark-haired, puppy-eyed Ross (David Schwimmer) more or less at first sight.

'They did seem to hit it off immediately,' Helen laughs. 'In fact it was only two minutes before she was in bed with him 'Not that it's just a lust thing. Not at all. There does seem to be something much deeper going on too.' Until Emily came along, every woman that Ross met was measured up against Rachel - the love of his life -and somehow found wanting. 'But Emily does seem a very strong contender for his affections,' says Helen. Just how strong becomes plain as the relationship develops - culminating in the wedding scene. Exactly what happens during that episode, however, is a closely guarded secret. 'Even the cast don't know what will happen to their characters until the week that they receive the scripts' says Helen. Still, in this case, it seems likely that she has been fully briefed. After all, her future, as well as the character's, depends on it. With her baby due just one month after filming of the next series begins, it seems unlikely that she'll be able to return to Los Angeles to continue playing Emily and will either bail out at the end of this series or at the very least, take a break. 

Insiders suggest that the wedding may, in fact, end in tears, with either Emily or indeed Ross, being jilted at the altar. 'We're definitely left with a bit of a cliff-hanger,' one source reports.
For Helen, who experienced the double whammy of homesickness and morning sickness during filming of the current series, being written out of Friends (for which she was reportedly paid £15,000 an episode) might not be entirely a bad thing. Even before the news of her pregnancy, she was expressing doubts that she could base herself permanently in America. 'Being so far from home and knowing that everyone I love is thousands of miles away would not be easy at all. I know that I'd miss too many things about England, especially the irreverence and the sense of humour.' 

There is also, of course, the matter of her relationship with David Elliot. The two have been together since 1991, when they met in the Glasgow Citizens Theatre, before Helen became well known for roles in such shows as Cardiac Arrest. They recently bought a large Georgian house in London and Helen is now back in England working on the latest series of the TV comedy Cold Feet. She has also signed for another in the collection of PD James dramas, An unsuitable Job for a Woman, in which she stars as private detective Cordelia Gray. Both projects were rewritten to take account of her pregnancy. She's happy to be at home. After all, it can't have been easy for either her or David to be separated at a time when they would have dearly liked to share the excitement of expectant parents. But both accept that separation is an occupational hazard. 'It might be harder for someone who wasn't an actor to accept,' says Helen. 'Though I'm not with David because we're in the same profession. I'm with him because he's him. 'It's difficult to compare, because I haven't been through all the professions romantically, if you see what I mean. I just know that it's hard enough just to find someone to love, and when you do you stick with them.'

Helen is likely to receive all the advice she needs on parenthood from her own mother, June, a retired teacher. She and Helen's father, Bill, a schools inspector, still live in Staffordshire, where Helen grew up. Though June had never watched Friends, she tuned in immediately after her daughter was offered the role and gave her verdict without pulling any punches.
'My mum said to me, "To be honest, Helen, it just seemed like a lot of people opening and closing doors to me. I really don't see what all the fuss is about."'

The show has certainly opened doors for Helen. And even if her pregnancy now seems likely to close them once more, she remains philosophical. 'Whatever happens, Friends will have been a hugely enjoyable experience,' she says. And you can't say fairer than that.