I am a light person. I think of myself with a shield, a protective shield around me. And I think of bad things bouncing off it. Boom, boom, boom, ba-boom, ba- boom!

I remember when I got to 16, my mum was like, 'No, now you've got to go and get a proper job. We've indulged you long enough.' I don't think they ever thought I was going to be successful in entertainment at all.

I don't want to make the same mistakes of being swept along with things, taking on jobs that I'm not passionate about, that I don't really believe in but that everyone says I should do.

I feel a lot more comfortable on stage in the theatre. It just reminds me of being a kid and doing pantomimes.

Women in the 1950s were so much sexier. That's what I aspire to look like.

I've never had one of those amazing yoga bodies. My body is what it is. I am sure if I went on a crash diet, lost two stone and toned up I could make loads of money by making fitness videos and selling my story to the tabloids. But I don't want to encourage women to be anything other than what they are. That's very important to me.

I do sometimes worry about getting older and the fact that I am not going to be a model for ever...[But] The fact that Helen Mirren can look so great in swimwear is an amazing boost for all women.