Blank House was exactly a nice empty sheet where nothing was accountable because you were so naughty that you were in Blank House.

I was a hard worker, and I always knew my lines.

Suddenly I had a contract and I was earning lots of money.

I was often very, incredibly naughty, and if I didn't come home at tea time I used to be sent to bed without any dinner. But people used to bring me things: I was better fed in bed.

You never came home for lunch: you just stayed doing, playing, having fun, surfing, running round.

I spoke French a bit, and I could speak a bit of this and that, and when you were taught those things by people who couldn't really do it, you can do some pretty wonderfully, imaginative horrific things to teachers.

I don't think in my family anyone looked after anyone. It didn't matter how old they were.