Most women would be mortified to hold the title, ‘the oldest’ of anything but when the title also includes the words Playboy model, somehow the whole tone of the phrase is suddenly altered.

That’s the title held by Kathy Shower, the Playboy model born in 1953 and still being sought after as a Playboy magazine collector’s favourite.

In May 1985 Kathy was named Playboy’s Playmate of the Month by Hugh Hefner and in 1986 that title expanded to Playboy’s Playmate of the Year.

At the time of receiving both accolades Kathy was already a mother of two children aged 6 and 9 years and took the title from Sharon Clarke who was Playboy’s Playmate of the Year for 1971.

Kathy, along with the new ‘oldest Playboy model’ title, Rebecca Ramos is among only a very few beauties who have held the title in their thirties. Rebecca was 35 at the time of her centerfold appearance in January 2003 and remains the oldest Playmate of the Month so far.

Life after Playboy modeling lead Kathy to an acting career which saw her appearing in action adventure movies including, American Kickboxer 2, The Further Adventures of Tennessee Buck & erotic thriller genres Boundaries, LA Goddess and Velvet Dreams. Shower also made numerous appearances within mainstream TV, guest starring in episodes of Knight Rider, Simon & Simon and a continuing role in Santa Barbara. She has since retired from acting and has lived in Spain for more than a decade.