Denise Van Outen

“In LA, I live on sushi or salad.”

“I did the Kilimanjaro climb a few years ago, then the six-day trek to Machu Picchu in Peru so this bike ride to raise money for Great Ormond Street seemed like the next big challenge.”

“Like a typical Gemini I'm changeable, I can be two different types of people. I can be very outgoing, but sometimes very shy.”

“I don't know what I would do without my smartphone as I am on the go all day.”

“Young girls look to me as a role model and think I crash diet to keep slim. That's not true, I always eat properly.”

“I did like hanging out with all the rock'n'roll boys - it was fun but all those relationships didn't work out.”

“It wasn't through choice that I became a mum at 36. I wanted to be a young mum but things never worked out for me.”

“I do like my breasts. They're great, so much fun. You can do what you like with them.”

“My daughter is my biggest achievement. She is a little star and my life has changed so much for the better since she came along.”

“I mean, I'm lucky because I've slimmed down, but the last thing I was thinking about was losing weight.”

“I'd got to that age when I was out on a date with a guy and I would be thinking: Don't mention your age, don't mention that you want a child - because they would just run out the door.”

“Essex is an amazing county, with its own set of rules. It's a completely different world.”

“Now I look back and think if I'd spent more time enjoying myself instead of crying into my pillow over men, my 20s would have been fabulous!”

“Men pretend they don't like to be nagged, but they love it, really. It makes them feel wanted.”

“I'm not changing to the point where suddenly I wear floor-length skirts and start playing the violin; I'm just growing up a little bit, I guess.”

“Everybody thinks if you do one thing, you can't do something else. So I like the fact that I can be versatile if I want to.”

“Much as I loved doing 'The Big Breakfast,' it almost became automatic. I need something to keep my brain ticking over, something that I have to concentrate on.”

“I used to spend all my school holidays cycling around, so all this training has made me feel like a kid again.”

“At weekends, I've been going on long but steady-paced four-and-a-half-hour bike rides.”

“After I had the Caesarean, I was told I had really strong stomach muscles and so would heal very quickly. And I did. I was up walking about within three hours. Six days after having her, I was out shopping and shortly after that I made it to David Walliams' wedding.”