Darcey Bussell
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.'Collection: Teacher
I've always been quite famous for my nose.Collection: Famous
We only open a couple of presents on Christmas morning; we're all about the stockings - we even get them for the dogs!Collection: Christmas
Life is short, so go for things you enjoy.
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.
I love chocolate, but it's bad.
My 'new' knee now feels like a bionic knee compared with my old one.
In the dance world, it has to be in your genetic make-up - your body has to suit the training.
I was incredibly supple and did gymnastics as well. So half of my injuries are because I am over-supple and the joints could always go that little bit further. But I was happy to push, and I have no regrets. That is important to say.
I don't get much sleep, so I have really bad bags under my eyes.
The Royal Academy of Dance is an institution that trains to a very high standard.
Being on stage taught me how to apply eyeliner.
Even after having children, after five months I was dancing again, which was kind of crazy.
Keeping off wheat helps my energy levels.
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.
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.
Looking after myself is something I probably have to be much more conscious of than the average person.
Confidence comes from other places, not just how you look.
I know some people aspire to a ballerina's body, but I looked forward to feeling more feminine.
I was pretty rubbish when I first started dancing. I didn't understand the discipline of working on one step over and over again. If you look at it from the outside, you'd think, 'Why would anybody want to do that?' But you just want to get it perfect. It is that constant inner striving that you fall in love with.
Dance is a great way to express yourself.
For me, in my life, dyslexia has been a little bit of a blessing. It helped me find my strength and directed me towards what I really wanted to do.
If you have enough ambition, you can create talent!
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.
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.
Diets don't come into it. You need variety and to have a good source of greens, protein, and nutrition. It is about health rather than looking right.
I dye my hair, and I use teeth whitening strips. Unless I burnt myself or damaged my skin, I wouldn't have cosmetic surgery.
I did ballet from the age of five, but what I loved was my gymnastics. I kept the ballet going because of the gymnastics, then found I was going to be too tall.
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 need help to ensure I grow old gracefully! So now I always apply moisturiser and foundation with an SPF, to protect my skin from the sun.
The best thing is to lie in a warm Epsom salts bath for 15 minutes and then go straight to bed. You will sleep really well afterwards.
I absolutely loved learning how to do stage make-up at 16: it was so interesting to learn all about what you can do with make-up, such as contouring or shadowing eyes. We had a lot of fun.
As a little girl, I didn't dream of being a ballet dancer; I dreamt of being a movie star like Ginger Rogers and dancing with Fred Astaire. I used to watch the Sunday double-bills on TV and Iong to be part of what seemed a perfect Disneyland world. Astaire was a genius.
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.
I didn't worry too much about staying in shape once I'd stopped dancing. You get to the point where you just burn out and have to give your body a chance to heal.
If I start something, I have to finish it. I know that's annoying - it drives my husband mad - but even if something's not going my way, I have to see it through.
It is entertainment; we mustn't forget that. Dance is entertainment. You can have the best technicians in the world, but they'll be boring to watch. It has to be about entertainment as well, but it's quality, grace.
Over the years, I've had two ankle operations, torn my hamstring, had my hip resurfaced, and snapped the anterior cruciate ligament in my knee.
I've achieved everything I've wanted to achieve, so I'm not scared of failure. I never gave up, however bad the injuries got.
My mum sent me to ballet from the age of five, not because I was that into it but because I had really knock knees.
I don't see anything negative about dance. It is so good for you, mentally and physically, and so for me to promote it is the easiest thing to do.
One thing I've learned from 'Strictly' is timing and the craft of the talk.
Weirdly, I didn't even know that I said 'yah' all the time.
I wore myself out physically and mentally over my career, and I couldn't be there for my daughters in ways I should have been.
When I started on 'Strictly,' I was terrified. Live television seemed like the most daunting thing in the world.
Being a ballerina can be a very unnatural life, especially after you've had children.
Ballet is a healthy world despite what people might think. There's a perception that ballet dancers are skinny and unhealthy, but that's rubbish. You have to be strong, so eating regularly and healthily is essential.
You tend to regret the things you haven't done.