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.

There's such a huge world out there; I haven't even begun to scratch the surface.

I think it's so important as an actor that you hang on to your own inner compass, because so many people want to guide you - 'This is what you should you be doing'. But I want to do different things.

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.

If I wear make-up, then people recognise me, but the rest of the time, no one really bothers.

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.

For me, once I've worked on something and it's finished, it's like an ex-boyfriend: you don't go back to them.