I was always very quiet, and I think everyone thought that was because I was a good child. I'd sit there in silence, but it wasn't until my mother was calling me one day when I was very young that she realised something was wrong because I wasn't responding.

I've been amazingly lucky, and believe me, I don't take anything for granted.

As a young child, I suffered all sorts of digestive problems and was constantly under the weather.

It might seem a psychotic, insane thing, quitting a job after I'd built a great career over eight years, but it was a wake-up call. All too often we ignore those, forget that we don't know how long we're here for and that we need to make the most of every moment.

A lot of the things that happened to me came out of the blue, but I'm exactly the same person now as I was when I was sick. I'm still a very optimistic person.

Shaming people isn't productive. That makes you feel bad about yourself.

After the cancer-free diagnosis, I thought I'd go off and do the things I never did in my teens and twenties. I realised putting things off in life can be dangerous because suddenly you can find you've run out of time.

The doctor said, 'You have a lump on your breast'. Hearing those words was a reminder, a kick up the bum if you like, telling me that life is very unpredictable.

One of the perks of growing up, but also one of the biggest challenges, is making decisions about the future. Deciding what kind of job you want, whether you want to finish school, or whether you want to go to university are huge choices to make.

Many weight issues stem from illness, be it physical or, indeed, emotional. And a large portion of people who sometimes struggle to maintain a 'healthy' weight deal daily with their own self-esteem crises.

I think compassion is the only way to approach any subject, especially if it's to do with physical appearance. I don't think it's really about tearing something apart.

People don't tend to be unhappy in jobs doing something that they love, so I think it's important that those entering the world of work for the first time are given as much information as possible on how to get into the career that they want.

I became allergic to virtually all fruits and vegetables, and my weight tumbled. I am 5ft. 10in. but dropped to just 8 st. 7lbs.

I get particularly depressed by the way teenagers are portrayed in the media. They are massively underestimated. They are bright, intelligent people who are given less and less opportunity. They are an ignored generation.

Sometimes gluten is even added to chips, which is really annoying.

I'm going to get controversial here and say that monogamy isn't natural, especially not for men. It's a concept society birthed a few hundred years ago, even though men's DNA is busy telling them to spread the seed.

Initially I struggled to find gluten-free products, but things have gradually improved, and now retailers like Holland & Barrett - with their new Free From range - are starting to cater for celiacs.

Having an education is extremely valuable, but we need to help people connect their choice of studies to a potential career at an earlier age so that they are better prepared to get the job they want when the time comes.

If you're in the public eye, you're constantly scrutinised. I was called too thin and then too fat when I was overweight. It's just a shame those are the reactions people have.

One of the brilliant things I realised after I'd left school is that there are so many ways you can learn. I do this best on the job.

With the arrogance of youth, I thought, 'I don't drink, don't smoke, I don't do drugs, so why would I get cancer?' The week I spent waiting for the result of the biopsy to see if it was malignant felt like the longest of my life.

I had to learn to accept myself despite the fact that I was seriously underweight. I had to try and feel sexy.

I thought it would be more of a challenge than it was to cater for every size, but as you're aware of a woman's curves - they're kind of like a race track - you can create something glamorous and beautiful.

At no point in my thirty years have I ever felt truly represented by the fashion industry.