LONDON: Kate Beckinsale spent a nervous few months in her native Britain earlier this year (09) - she flew in with daughter LILY just as the swine flu pandemic was sweeping the nation.

The actress, who now lives in Los Angeles with her husband Len Wiseman, returned to England to visit friends and family at Easter - and she stayed there until the beginning of summer.

But the trip home was a little nerve-wracking because friends and relations were falling sick all around her.

She explains, "It was just sort of rocketing there, lots of people we knew were getting it - my best friend's kids had it."

And when she wasn't dodging swine flu, Beckinsale was trying to stay cool during an uncomfortable English heatwave.

She adds, "It was very very hot, which doesn't often happen in England and it can't really handle it because we don't have air conditioning.

"I was quite shocked. I had not been back for any real length of time in about seven years. I realised if you leave your window open... lots of these tiny little flies would come. I spent most of my time dodging swine flu and vacuuming flies off the ceiling."

And to make matters worse, she also picked up 'kissing disease' mononucleosis during her trip: "Guess who's the only other person who got it - my mother, which is weird and creepy... My mother still has it."