I drink booze, I smoke, and I'm hooked on caffeine. I actually have been known to swear at times and belch and even raise my voice when provoked. And I'm not physically repressed!

Journalists are always calling my features Edwardian or Victorian, whatever that means. I am small, and people were smaller in those times. I'm pale and sickly-looking. I look fragile-like a doll. But sometimes I just wish I had less of a particular look, one that was more versatile.

People have lots of misconceptions about me. My mum, who is half French and half Spanish, gets outraged when I'm called quintessentially English. I owe my looks to my mum-which was 90 percent of getting my first job. And, some people would argue, 90 percent of my entire career.

I don't think any actor wants their children to follow them into the profession.

I come from a family where happiness was seen as an 'extra,' a kind of frill to life - nice to have, but certainly not necessary and by no means paramount. Work was king. Suffering meant you were working hard. It made you worthy.

What I loved about 'Strictly' as a viewer and contestant was that it was warm, family entertainment. So it is a shame for the show when controversy surrounds it. That is not what we like about 'Strictly.'

I come from a family of tall, curvy women. I developed in my body and my shape far earlier, so from a young age I accepted it. I embraced it and saw it as an advantage.

I have acquired many wonderful principles from my family, and I intend to follow these for the rest of my life.