Katie Piper

My book 'Things Get Better' has normalised the idea that it’s OK to fail and it’s OK to seek professional help from psychologists.

I don’t think many people stare at people in wheelchairs because we see it regularly. I suppose if you see more in the media it will take away the curiosity.

There’s nothing worse than saying the past is in the past, then dragging it into your kid’s life."

I have learnt from Simon Cowell that anything is possible if you work hard enough and also that acts of kindness or giving somebody a few minutes of your time can have a massive impact on their life and their future.

There were times after the accident when I felt very lonely - burns survivors can feel terrible isolation. I wanted to create something that connects us all together, so that was the idea behind the Katie Piper Foundation.

Not a day goes past when I don't think how grateful I am I survived, that I recovered and that I feel like a young woman again.

I was standing in the street with people walking past me and I could feel my face evaporating. I thought I was on fire as the acid ate at my skin.

None of my ambitions were serious as a girl. One week I wanted to be a lawyer, the next a binman.

I was writing for myself, not to be published. I was writing diaries, even letters, to myself or to anyone I was angry at. Sometimes they weren’t to a person, they were just to the universe - a bit like penning daydreams or isolated thoughts."

I meet many inspiring individuals who have worked hard to rebuild their lives after an attack; however, it can be hard to stay motivated when the justice system does not always reflect the severity of these crimes.

I am so much more than what happened to me. I’m a mother and a businesswoman; I run a charity that supports others overcoming adversity; and, most importantly, I’m happy."

But I like a challenge, anything I can’t do it inspires me to learn it."