At sixteen, I was a funny, skinny little thing, all eyelashes and legs. And then, suddenly people told me it was gorgeous. I thought they had gone mad.

The trick is to find the style that is right for you. When it comes to trying new clothes, my advice is not to take it too seriously - it's all about having fun.

For me, getting older doesnt mean throwing away a favourite-coloured lipstick or a fabulous pair of boots; instead, its about harnessing all the great things I have learnt over the years about what does and doesnt suit me, and enjoying the way in which cleverly selected outfits can enhance the nice bits.

If I want to calm down, I'll buy some fabric, get a pattern, shut myself in a room and stay there for days, really happy. And at the end of it, you get a bedspread or some curtains or something to wear - it's lovely.

Being young isn't about age, it's about being a free spirit. You can meet someone of 20 who's boring and old, or you can meet someone of 70 who's youthful and exciting. I met Fred Astaire when he was 72 and I was 21, and I fell in love with him. He certainly was a free spirit.

I used to be a thing; I'm a person now.

Can you imagine wot it was like. All the girls gettin' luvly figgers and me stayin' flat as a pancake? It was no fun, I tell you.