I adore clothes - they're my weakest link! My mother was the same, and she taught me always to look polished.

I've always taken risks and bought property well. As journalism wasn't particularly well paid, buying homes and selling them for profit improved my income.

When I was about 17, I had a row with my mother and left home for six months, renting a flat and working as a waitress for a while. I learnt you could double your earnings if you gave good, cheerful service. It taught me that in any job you can improve your lot.

I'm not going to marry a third time. It is just not necessary.

I come from a family of traders; my grandmother and my mother were very good at making money.

Believe me, I've done my time travelling the world in cramped conditions and carrying my own luggage. Now my leisure is summers in the south of France or the Hamptons, walking in Connemara, and year-round shopping in Manhattan and Paris.

In an ideal world, I'd be able to do my shows in my pajamas. Luckily I've got one of the best stylists in the business, Rebecca Allen - she knows what looks good on camera and gives it a sexy kick.