Konnie Huq

“Food lovers tend to make life difficult for themselves on their travels. It's like travelling first class, if your expectations are so high, you're bound to be disappointed.”

“My dad moved to Britain from Bangladesh in the 1960s to work as an actuary for Prudential. However, after seeing an empty retail space in Soho, he decided to open an Asian restaurant instead, despite not having any business experience.”

“From a young age I was really into pop music because I had these two older sisters who were into it, and I wanted to be like them. They liked Wham! and so I was really into them too.”

“I don't really buy a weekly magazine but do flick through them if they're in front of me. A bit of style and a dose of gossip is just what you need sometimes.”

“I remember being in Vietnam in my early 20s, at the height of Lonely Planet's fame, and all the travellers would converge on internet cafes to send emails back home. It was a great place to exchange tips and recommendations, so you actually interacted with people.”

“In all aspects of our society we overcomplicate things under the guise of making things easier and simpler, when in fact we are doing the opposite.”

“If you're broke and you're living on the street and you're happy, you're still winning compared to someone who is rich and depressed, because your mental wellbeing is still there.”

“Because Blue Peter can get you access to places - if you go to somewhere like Nasa, you don't just see what most people see, you can get a lot of behind the scenes access. You can talk to an astronaut.”

“My mum is your archetypal Asian mum, always feeding people. If there was no food in the cupboard, she'd still manage to rustle up a feast - Bangladeshi food such as pilau rice, curry and korma.”

“Journalists know other journalists - that's the only reason my engagement made it into the papers. I don't think real people are interested - just the media, just Twitter!”

“My parents grew up in a village where they didn't even have running water. They are first generation immigrants who are proof that arranged marriages can work, although I wouldn't want one.”

“My first ever interview for 'Blue Peter' was a film with JK Rowling.”

“I say throwaway, jokey things. When you're young-looking and you are presenting something that has gravitas you can't look down your nose, but when David Dimbleby does it, it's OK.”

“My parents really wanted me to have an arranged marriage when I was younger, but I think they have updated a bit with the times.”

“As for other radio, I dip in and out of various channels depending on my mood.”

“My parents are proof that arranged marriages can work. It is a great part of my culture but I grew up in a completely different place, so I wouldn't want anyone to arrange a marriage for me.”

“Getting the spot of 'Blue Peter' changed the path of my life.”

“We rip out a perfectly good kitchen worth thousands of pounds, only to replace it with another costing roughly the same. The old one has to be disposed of, the new one had to be made. From raw materials, factory processes and transportation the extra effort is substantial. Overcomplication.”

“A problem shared is a problem halved, but as with so many problems affecting women - periods, menopause, post-natal depression - we often feel embarrassed, as if we're moaning or just plain wrong to air them.”

“I'm really not aware of much press. I could drive myself mental if I went on the internet. I'd probably overanalyse it anyway. There's so much media that I'd feel bombarded, so I don't pay it much attention.”