I think being raised by a single mother put me on the outside, and I would watch my mothers married friends and think, Why does she put him down in public? or, Why is he so rude to her? It seemed to me that there were very few marriages where the couple were genuinely in a supportive, loving partnership.

I have that precious commodity - freedom. I can live my life a day at a time, and I am open to whatever the next day brings. I know I sound as if I have been off with some guru in India, but I haven't. I've come to realise the value of being able to decide for oneself.

I've got an overactive, analytical brain. I get frustrated, impatient, angry with myself. I swear at myself a lot.

Whether it's a good thing or a bad thing, the higher your profile, the more castable you are in TV dramas.

It's a bit of a headache being a perfectionist. You're never satisfied.

Sadly, the timing's never been right. There have been men who would have married me but I didn't feel the same, and vice versa.

I try to live my life as honestly as I can, and the last thing I want is to pretend to be something I'm not. To pretend to myself I am a sex symbol would somehow be dishonest. I'd feel, in my heart, that I were behaving artificially and that's the last thing I want to do.