Katie Piper

In March 2008, when I was 24 years old, a man I had been dating arranged for an accomplice to throw sulphuric acid in my face.

I’m self-sufficient, but it’s brilliant to have people in your life that you love, who love you and are important to you."

As well as being my doctor, Mohammad Jawad is so kind and caring and we have a father/daughter relationship. When I left hospital he found out about a revolutionary rehab centre in the south of France and spent his August bank holiday taking me there in 2008 to see it - such a happy time.

The important things for me are stability, consistency and love, and I have that through my family, so that’s a great place to be."

Of course, I’d like to fall in love and get married one day - my brother has just got engaged and I’m thrilled for him - but I’m not obsessing about meeting someone."

I enjoy looking good and love experimenting with my hair colour. I’ve just gone from blonde to brunette, and keep looking in the mirror and not recognising myself!"

There are so many things that can happen to us in life where you think, 'I can’t cope. I can’t deal with it,' but you probably can."

Anywhere, you're going to get people who are ignorant or rude but it's not the whole of society. I don't think my life is doomed because I look like this.

I don't want to be an ambassador for too many charities, because it's a far stronger message to be a person with a disfigurement going about their life doing everyday things.

I really cherish my family life, because at one point I never thought I’d have it."

I feel like I’ve lived two or three completely different lives. At 33, I’m quite reflective and have the perspective you get in your old age when you have been through the losses of life."

I was living alone, so I’d get quite lonely and running became a way to combat my loneliness and de-stress."