I always get mistaken for my daughter’s sister – despite being 25 years older

I do take care of myself, to try and stay looking youthful, but mostly it’s down to good genes, I’m afraid! My dad is in his seventies but looks in his fifties, too.

I’ve been a single mum since 2005, after Malissa’s father and I separated. When Malissa was little, she looked just like her dad. It was only when she was 16 that she started to look more like me. 

She was starting to care about her appearance, wearing make-up and styling her hair, and suddenly we began to look the same.

She’d booked a table at a restaurant and the woman at the desk said: ‘Is it just the two of you? Is your mum coming?’

I burst out laughing and said: ‘I am her mum, she’s treating me to lunch!’

Perhaps it was because we’d been to a bar beforehand so I wasn’t dressed very conservatively – as people might wrongly expect from a 40-odd-year-old. 

I don’t really dress my age, which is probably why I might look younger than I am.

We don’t shy away from dressing in similar clothing, either. We love nothing more than sharing wardrobes with each other – I’m 5ft 3in and a size 8, and Malissa is 5ft 4in and a size 6.

On a night out together once, we were both in short dresses and wearing winged eyeliner when someone referred to us as twins. But I think other people see it a lot more than we see it ourselves!

That’s definitely the fun part – confusing people. We’ve gone along with it a couple of times.  

Then we’ve told them the truth at the end of the night, before we’ve gone home, and the looks on their faces when are priceless.

Aside from me being more of an extrovert and Malissa an introvert, we like the same things. We share the same opinions, and have the same sense of humour, but thankfully don’t share the same taste in men!

When men in their twenties start chatting me up, unaware of my age, Malissa interrupts the conversation to say: ‘Er, that’s my mum you know – she’s in her forties!’ They can never believe it, and that’s what makes our nights out so hilarious.

We have also been known to switch roles, too. I sometimes turn to her for relationship advice because she knows me better than anyone. One time, she was trying to tell me a man I was dating was no good for me. 

At first, I couldn’t see it, but when she sat me down and explained he was bad news and that she didn’t like him, I listened – respecting her advice.

It was like she’d taken on the maternal role while I was the younger daughter. She’s always there for me, just as I am for her.

Some people might think it’s weird for a 45-year-old mum to be clubbing with her daughter, or wearing the same clothes, but I think that, regardless of age, women should be allowed to enjoy themselves with their children. 

To wear what we want, how we want so that we look our best, as well as feel good inside, too.

As told to Julia Sidwell