Star and car: Rhonda Burchmore

What was your first car?

My first car was a beautiful-looking red Alfa Romeo, a little GTV two-litre job. It was a manual, and was an amazing car if you could drive it. I didn't realise or even know about the amazing benefits of automatics, which I discovered later. It would have been so much easier than this manual, which nearly turned me off driving for life. I used to have nightmares on hills with handbrake starts. I wore the clutch out a few times, just out of the fear of rolling back.

How did you find the whole learning to drive experience?

Initially I wasn't one who really liked driving. I was always for some reason scared of driving, a little bit hesitant. I don't know where that came from. I grew up in Sydney and when everyone turned the legal driving age they were dying to get their licence. I drove around a car park or two and went, 'no, it's not for me', and then I came to Melbourne and met my husband. He actually taught me how to drive and I didn't get my first car, the Alfa, until I was about 25.

Was the manual training ever useful?

It did come in a little handy because I was once in the celebrity grand prix race. I did actually go into reverse on the grid when I was waving at my fans, which was a bit embarrassing. But the car, a Holden Calibra, came out of the race without a scratch. It was the only one.

What are you driving these days?

A black Lexus RX350. I call it my Bat Mobile. I've got two standard poodles so they have pride of place in the back seat. And they have their own window, so they're spoilt rotten. Getting into this car is like going into a fun parlour. You look at the dashboard and everything lights up. For the first time in my life, I find it an absolute pleasure to drive. I feel safe. It's a lovely car to drive and it's an easy car to drive.

When it comes to car washing, are we talking every weekend, or hardly ever?

I'm trying my best to keep the Lexus tidy, but I'm certainly not fastidious. I'm not a car washer, but I do like it when it happens. But it's very frustrating the next day when a bird poos on it or whatever.

What's your favourite drive?

I love the drive up to the Dandenongs here in Melbourne. And I used to love driving down south past Apollo Bay. I'm a keen fisherwoman as well and I've got an old LandCruiser in Queensland. It's a really good little off-road number that I use for long drives up there.

The lowdown: the much-loved showbiz icon took a long time to warm to the pleasures of driving.

Career highlights: performing on London's West End in musicals including Sugar Babies; starring opposite David Atkins in the original Hot Shoe Shuffle; winning the 2014 Cabaret Icon Award at the International Adelaide Cabaret Festival; being awarded an OAM in 2014 for her service to the performing arts and community.

Current project: touring her new show ABBA-solutely Fabulous. Visit rhondaburchmore.com for dates.

Vital statistics

6 - the number of years I had my old Alfa Romeo

0 - the number of speeding tickets I've had