Darcey Bussell

“I am not a big vitamin-taker. I have vitamin C during the winter, but eating lots of fruit and veg does the trick.”

“I'm not a big cook at all, but anything easy and quick, like pasta, I'm up to. My husband cooks for me because he finds cooking relaxing.”

“I would love more children, but no. I'm very lucky to have had my two.”

“Looking after myself is something I probably have to be much more conscious of than the average person.”

“When I started, there was a very strong image of what the ballerina was supposed to be in her tights and her costume, and then I started doing photo shoots in bomber boots, and it wasn't seen as the done thing.”

“I know some people aspire to a ballerina's body, but I looked forward to feeling more feminine.”

“When I was a teenager, I used to watch the 'Making Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'' video and try to follow the steps and do the 'Thriller' moves in my bedroom. That was the most incredible dance sequence.”

“You don't just become a success overnight.”

“I'm a grazer by nature - fruit, nuts - but I try to discipline myself and sit down for regular meals when the girls are around, as I want to instil good habits in them.”

“I never imagined I'd be a presenter on television, but I'm happy to put myself out of my comfort zone.”

“When I was at the Royal Ballet School, I remember receiving my first eyeshadow palette from Marks & Spencer as a gift. It sparked my interest in beauty, which peaked when I became more involved in theatre and got to experience so many stunning image transformations to suit different productions.”

“I do a Zumba class at least twice a week, which entertains me and keeps me fit, and I have two dogs that I walk regularly.”

“I loved gymnastics, and my gymnastics teacher said ballet was essential to help my dance routines in competitions. I only really went because my friends were going as well. It wasn't this kind of hidden love. Then, slowly, my friends stopped going and I thought, 'I like this. I am going to stay.'”

“Being a ballerina can be a very unnatural life, especially after you've had children.”

“If I'm dehydrated, my muscles feel almost squeaky.”

“The orthopaedic surgeon said that if ever I had hip or groin pain, I should rest until the pain went. However, resting is not part of a dancer's life - so I just danced through the pain.”

“The jogging machine makes me go insane with boredom.”

“I've got that personality where I've always been determined. As a dancer, I was constantly improving and perfecting. I guess it's innate.”

“I've always been quite conscious of it, though I don't know why. I would never overspend, and I have to know exactly what I've got so that I avoid going into overdraft. I watch my pennies, and I'm quite thrifty.”

“On Boxing Day, we always go for a walk in our wellies with the dogs, no matter where we are.”