Growing up in Middlesbrough I was taught to be resilient and competitive. My teachers made us believe that just because kids were at private school up the road, it didn't mean they were better than us.

I remember early in my career people telling me I needed to change my accent, that I needed to sound more professional, more BBC perhaps, but I think if I wasn't from Middlesbrough I wouldn't have done as well as I have.

I always felt I had to prove my intelligence.

There are a lot of women who do a similar job to me who are paid a hell of a lot more... who are a lot posher than me.

It is not about the money. It's the public service aspect. Absolutely, I think it has qualities of redemption. The city gets a second chance. I get a second chance.

Even on a $100 million film, people will complain that they haven't got enough money and enough time, so that's always going to be an element in filmmaking.

If Anglo feels it hasn't done enough damage to me already by taking my money, my company, my reputation, if they want to finish it off by putting me in prison, then so be it - I'll accept that.

Life is going to happen to you no matter what weight you are, no matter how famous you are, no matter how much money you have in the bank. No one gets a free pass.