Because of my childhood where I was constantly by myself, I always feel lonely. I have a lot of people that I absolutely love and I know love me but I can't get rid of that feeling of loneliness no matter who I'm with - even with my children.

Before I left Russia in 1999, I was living in a very poor factory town with my family and friends, and nothing was ever going to change.

I was born in Nizhny Novgorod to a very poor family and unfortunately my father and mother separated when I was very little.

When I remember my life in Russia it is in totally dark colours.

When you are at the bottom, you find beauty in such little things, and goodness in such little gestures. When I compare any struggle today to ones that I may have had in my childhood, there is nothing that can bring me down.

When I was a teenager, I remember I wanted to put so much makeup on - it was just a natural thing over there. Why they do it, I guess, is because historically, there were twice as many women as there were men after the World War II.

Sometimes I just need to switch off.