I delivered leaflets for my dad and was paid £5 per thousand, which was slave labour.

I worked on local papers, before taking a job as a webmaster with a very well known telecommunications company in London, as I thought the internet was the future.

My father was a self-employed, commission-only salesman. He sold double-glazing and fitted kitchens, amongst other things. As he never declared himself unemployed, there was never recourse to benefits, so if money was tight, money was tight. It taught me that we were a closed unit, and that we had to be resourceful.

People looking at what I do from the outside would think it was a secure world I live in, but it isn't. Just because you had a series last year, doesn't mean you will have one next. But I am quite happy with that.

I'm wary of the new contactless ways of paying. The idea of paying with your phone is a little worrying: I have lost more than one over the years.

I delivered leaflets for my dad and was paid £5 per thousand, which was slave labour.

It took me a while to get established - success didn't happen overnight.