No one I know is actually so rude as to tell me I've become duller since having children. But I'm sure they think it.

There are lots of people who believe that caricature of me the tabloids created, so they think they don't like me.

I swam at school a lot. Long-distance swimming in pools, and diving, then when we moved to Hastings when I was 13 I used to swim in the sea all the time; I loved it out of season and when it was rough.

I think it's really important to be kind, especially to people whose lives are grim - I try hard to cheer people up in as many ways as I can - if all else fails - I tell 'em a joke!

It's inevitable that if you do okay on something like that you don't just annoy people, that it will make a difference because it seemed like such a lot of people so, yes I would have to say that it has done.

I did try when I wasn't doing the singing to do as much comedy as I could because I thought with Comic Relief you are duty bound to anyway.

Even when I wasn't overweight I was never one of those girls or women who wanted to look nice. I always thought it wasn't important.