Andrea McLean

“I find DIY really therapeutic. I lose myself in it, because you can concentrate on the task and not think about all the other stuff going on in your life.”

“I've always been interested in DIY and home renovation - even from my first student flat. I've always left places better than when I moved in.”

“People think I'm Snow White... the most boring person in the world!”

“Peppers, garlic, hazelnuts and brazil nuts make my mouth, tongue and eyes swell and itch within minutes of eating them.”

“I'm not an interior designer - I'm a normal working mum who wants her house to look good and doesn't need a man to do it for her.”

“The truth is I was nicely brought up and taught not to show my rage even though it was building up inside.”

“I grew up on a sugar plantation in Trinidad, on an expat estate, and that meant I had no idea about money until a lot later than most children.”

“I used to think everything had to be perfect, but now I know perfection doesn't exist - life comes with bumps and grazes.”

“I do most of my shopping over the Internet because as a busy working mum I can do the supermarket shop when the kids have gone to bed.”

“The only time I've ever taken out a loan is for the building work I had done at our house and I did that by extending the mortgage.”

“We make a mess of things sometimes but that doesn't make you bad - it makes you human.”

“Eating at home is fine, as I can easily work around the foods that don't agree with me and still eat heartily with the rest of my family. I don't force them to follow my diet.”

“I very rarely use a credit card, but I do if I know I have big bills coming and I need to stagger payment.”