A biography for Ulrika Jonssonhasn’t been written yet.
“I have to actively stop myself from calling bits of myself 'fat' whenever I see something wobble because, fundamentally, I know that it isn't.”
“There are aspects of ageing I don't enjoy, my sagging face and my aching body, my memory lapses and my inability to grasp technical instructions as quickly as before.”
“Women have been programmed to criticise their own bodies because we should have the shape that society, and in particular men, want.”
“But a lot more women in their 50s are taking greater freedoms and having more independence. I rail against this whole thing that we should go quietly, become invisible and just disappear.”
“I have always been a practical gal. Algebra and I never got on but I could replace the oil in a Fiat Mirafiori from the age of nine. Lightbulbs and plugs were always changed with ease.”
“As a product of divorced parents perhaps I should have been considerably more cynical, but for some reason I am a proponent of dedicating your life and love to someone else.”
“Human touch is comforting, it offers reassurance and it communicates more than words could ever do.”
“Speaking from experience, being engaged at 22 is not advisable. What on earth do you know of the world? What experiences do you have of other people? What wisdom can you bring to the table?”
“I've grown increasingly bored and frustrated with stars and creatives making their political thoughts and beliefs known at showbiz gatherings and award ceremonies.”
“As my 50th loomed, I had this feeling that if I didn't go on ;MasterChef' now, I probably never would. After a break of many years from TV, it seemed like the right time and place to dip back into it.”
“Misogyny is still very much alive and kicking in the world of football.”
“If you cut me in half, there would be kitsch and Waterloo running through my veins.”
“Everyone was having fun in their 20s and 30s. I wasn't. I had a career. I married at 23. Had first child at 27. For me life was about family and career.”
“As a relentless romantic, the prospect of being a 'lonely heart' has always had shameful undertones of desperation and hopelessness, and it's society's way of making you feel a failure.”
“We need to change the narrative about divorce. Sometimes it is no one's fault and divorce can be accepted as a good thing - and yes, even something to be celebrated.”
“Plenty of successful women started either as an unrecognised grafter or as a bit of decoration to the side of the screen.”
“The burden of constantly evaluating their weight disproportionately affects women.”
“There's no denying that being single means the world can assume there's something wrong with you - sees you as incompetent, a loser and a flop.”
“My early childhood was notable by an absence of proper meals and highly processed food.”
“If an unfit person pushes themself for a quick fitness fix they could end up with a broken ankle, or I knew it could reignite my chronic back problem.”