I was on holiday recently and I came home to find that one of the papers here had 'bikini'd' me on the beach. I was wearing a grossly unflattering costume and they had published photographs of me taken from behind. I looked dreadful. I went into our local newsagent and bought up every copy.

I like to think I'm a listener, and I'm fascinated by observing people - I suppose you just lock that in.

Being an actor is an extension of telling a story and I loved story telling as a child.

I have sleepless nights before press days.

I could suddenly see the pressures all around; these endless magazines and cheap reality TV programmes poking at women, humiliating us for every flaw. It makes me so angry. I really wonder what it is we are doing to ourselves, because I do think women can be the worst ones for picking each other apart.

It always interests me how obsessed people are about age.

Whatever I'm doing, I try to give it everything.