Annette Andre, who plays the pregnant Sarah, had a steamy love affair with America's Mr Soap, Aaron Spelling - the man who makes the mega-bucks Dynasty series and lives in a style that makes Blake Carrington look poor.

Spelling's wife, Candy, thinks nothing of wearing jewels worth £4 million when she goes out to lunch.

"That could have been Annette.  If she'd played her cards right!" said Sue Lloyd, Annette's best friend.  "She laughs about it now.  After all, even a bit part in Dynasty would pay better than CRossroads."

"Annette's afair with Spelling happened in the late sixties when we were both in Hollywood.  It was a passionate romance that lasted about three months and then fizzled out."

Annette's real life story has followed the same pattern as the part she is playing in Crossroads.

Sue said: "On screen she's about to have David Hunter's baby.  In fact she had her own love-child Anouschka, five years ago.  When Annette got pregnant we sat down together and did the sums to work out whether she could afford to support a baby on her own.

"There was never any question of her staying with the father.  That relationship was already over.  Now Anouschka is the centre of her life and no man gets a look-in"

Annette found it difficult playing Ronnie Allen's screen lover.

Sue said: "She said she found it upsetting to make love to my man, even though they were only acting."