I was bullied. I was a bit of a geek. Good-looking guys were off-limits. I didn't start dating until I was 18.

I adore water, so it would be a real adventure to visit the Amazon before they chop down all the trees.

When I left EastEnders, I could have earned an absolute fortune from sexy calendars, shoots for lads' mags, fitness videos and reality shows. But I always turned them down.

Most of my cousins are boys, so I'm used to being around boys.

I just believe that sometimes in life you're like a shark - you have to keep moving through water; otherwise, you'll die.

The whole dream of having your own place is great, but the reality is having to cook and clean yourself and do the washing and make sure there's milk in the fridge. But you have to grow up some time.

When I was ten, I saw 'Grease' on stage and thought: 'I want to be part of that; it looks like so much fun.' My mum enrolled me in a local theatre group, and it all went from there.