I am now at the age where I can withdraw a 25 per cent tax-free lump sum. I do not put in a set amount because my earnings are a moveable feast.

People who earn reasonable amounts are being turned into the anti-Christ. I think 45 per cent tax is a colossal amount to take off somebody, and it is taking away the incentive to earn.

Run a home like you would a small business and treat it with the same seriousness.

I had started working in television but it did not pay that much. I was 27, renting this little one-bed flat in Shepherd's Bush, West London, with a bathroom so small only someone of my size could actually get in it.

One wise decision I made was buying a plot of land with planning permission in Richmond, and building my own five-bedroom home on it. I sold three years after I completed the building and more than doubled my money. I like Richmond and always have my eyes open for other properties in the area.

There's no getting away from it: you have to clean.

Rearranging furniture, adding some candles, or making even small tweaks can really make the difference.