(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Felicity Huffman has joked she loves "being in fat clothes" for her role in Desperate Housewives.

The 48-year-old actress is best known for playing Lynette Scavo in the hit ABC television show, which has earned her an Emmy Award.

The American star has taken on some harrowing storylines as the mom-of-five, including being diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and undergoing chemotherapy in seasons three and four.

Felicity tries to portray the situations as realistically as possible, and says her favourite storylines are the ones where she is pregnant because her on-screen wardrobe is at its most comfortable then.

"The writers do the heavy lifting. I just try not to mess it up," she explained in an interview with BBC Breakfast. "Last year I was pregnant forever. I kept lobbying for it. There are parts that are compressed and parts that are elongated. I think I just like being in fat clothes."

Felicity says the Wisteria Lane setting of Desperate Housewives is "odd". There have been many shows produced since the launch of the fictional show that portrays the lives of affluent housewives including The Real Housewives of Orange County. Felicity says those series are definitely more believable.

"There have been about 86 deaths on Wisteria Lane. There is a lot that goes on behind that beautiful lane. It's an odd place," she quipped. "There are many [Real Housewives shows]. I think they're pretty accurate. Ours is heightened. It's poking fun and not losing touch of reality."

Felicity has co-written a relationship manual called A Practical Handbook for the Boyfriend. The star has revealed some of her best tips to help men seduce women.

"If you wanna see girls naked turn up the thermostat. Talk about feelings. Pretend you have them. Look into their eyes, nod and tell them you feel vulnerable," she laughed. (C) Cover Media