If I have time to myself. . . I love to curl up with all the gossip magazines and see what the celebs are up to. Shocking revelations about stars' cellulite can be very addictive!

You wouldn't know it, but I am very good at. . .bowling. I can safely say it's the only sport I ever showed any aptitude for.

You may not know it but I am very bad at. . .housework . . . especially ironing. Luckily, now I have a legitimate excuse to let the pile get higher and higher.

A book that changed me. . . The Country Girls by Edna O'Brien. I read it as a teenager and it has stayed with me ever since.

Movie heaven. . . I am a sucker for chick flicks . . .add popcorn with Maltesers and I am blissed out.

When I was a child I wanted to be. . . a writer. It took me 30 years to get around to it.

My biggest regret. . . is ever tasting Ben and Jerry's ice cream. I'm addicted.

If I wasn't me I'd like to be. . . Nigella Lawson (below). I never look seductive when cooking.

It's not fashionable but I like. . . Chef salad cream. It's far superior to mayonnaise.

The soundtrack to my life is. . . 'Here Comes the Sun' by Nina Simone.

The best invention ever. . . post-it notes. They remind me to do everything from buying milk to taping Grey's Anatomy (above).

Secret Diary of a Demented Housewife is available in bookshops now