People don't realise how dyslexia affects your confidence and how brutal it can be. People think you're dumb, and you know you're not. it's just how your brain works.

My first secondary school was in East Finchley, and I was one of only five white people in the year. I was really skinny and flat-chested with frizzy hair. I don't consider myself posh, but my mum brought me up to speak properly, and they picked up on that, as all kids do.

When I was growing up, we didn't have much money. What was important in my house was to have food on the table, be happy, and have our family.

I had a really honest conversation with my husband about equal pay because we met on a movie where he was paid more than me just because of gender.

'Skins' was the university for me. It was the best years of my life, really. We were all just a bunch of friends.

I didn't tell anyone in school that I was going to be in 'Skins.' I was terrified of them putting me down.

Being asked to memorise a script in one day when you have dyslexia is the same as having a broken foot and being asked to dance. You have to make exceptions for it.

My hair was always frizzy. I always wanted to be blonde with lovely straight hair. I was very skinny. I was quite tomboyish, just very quiet. I always wanted to fit in; I just couldn't.

The fight for equal rights or pay has become this thing where people expect actresses to talk about it. Why they feel that a man is worth more is an important issue to discuss - we are moving in the right direction, but we need to continue to talk about it and continue to label it as an issue.