A biography for Jameela Jamilhasn’t been written yet.
“For a while, I became a model scout and agent, thinking naively I could change the industry from the inside, and even kicked off the famous 'size zero debate' with an article I wrote to the 'Evening Standard' about my concerns from behind the curtain of the business, back in 2005.”
“I suffered a lot of setbacks when I started; I didn't have any work experience and no real confidence to go after the career that I knew in the back of my mind I really wanted. It affected my confidence as knock-back after knock-back left me feeling like I might never succeed.”
“I'm not trying to prove myself, and I'm not trying to shock anyone.”
“My digestive system was so damaged that I became allergic to almost everything, including fruit and vegetables, and the only thing I could stomach was chicken and chips.”
“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.”
“Radio 1 has always championed women; take Annie Nightingale, for example. One of my heroes.”
“With a doughnut in each hand, anything is possible.”
“Three women in my family, close relatives, have had breast cancer, and two have died from it, and still I never thought it could happen to me. I didn't even regularly check my breasts.”
“I had to learn to accept myself despite the fact that I was seriously underweight. I had to try and feel sexy.”
“We really shouldn't be putting a label on size. Fashion is for all, and I think confidence and happiness is more important than dress labels.”
“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 knew it was right to make time for myself to have adventures and fulfil dreams.”
“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.”
“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.”
“Food or the lack thereof can, at times, be coping mechanisms for people. While this isn't the best approach to good health, it's a part of people's realities. And it is nothing to be ashamed of.”
“At no point in my thirty years have I ever felt truly represented by the fashion industry.”
“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.”
“I couldn't wait to leave school. So I did it as soon as I possibly could at 16. I had no clue what I wanted to do next other than being at school wasn't it and that I was desperate to make my own way as soon as I could.”
“I essentially grew up listening to Radio 1, the chart show in particular. It was a routine, as for many young people. Every Sunday, I waited patiently to be told who was on top.”
“I'm not saying all men are likely to cheat.”