It was daunting, giving up a regular job for a freelance world, where every day off is a day of unemployment and you are conscious you are not earning. But it was time to take a gamble and see what's on the other side.
When I was growing up, I always felt a bit like I didn't quite fit in, a feeling that perhaps still lingers in the background to this very day. I was the small brown girl in the big white suburb.
I do sometimes like cheesy music like 'Africa' by Toto; naff songs and music.
I was mindful that clothes, objects and items had all been designed and manufactured. Thought had gone into those processes, so to mindlessly treat everything without care or as disposable was disrespectful. Things should be valued.
The thing about local government is they want to hear what local people think, but for the most part, their systems are so long, dull and bureaucratic that people only get involved when there's an issue they really care about.
I like to wear things that don't need ironing. It seems a fundamental design flaw when clothing needs ironing. There are loads of fabrics these days that don't need ironing, so I stick to those.
No one went to the ballot box to vote for something worse than the status quo.
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!
Growing up in a Muslim family, I didn't eat pork and was tactically vegetarian at school in a bid to avoid accidentally dining on swine, a galling prospect.
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.
I grew up as a Muslim: it was quite a conservative upbringing; I didn't wear mini-skirts. But my mum and dad had a good sense of humour and were creative. I guess all of that shaped me.
I have thick hair which is like Plasticine - it's mouldable. So I'll fashion it into some creation that looks presentable. I often wear it down because I have a tiny head and small face, and my hair adds volume to help disguise my pinhead.
I'd love to rent a private villa in a resort complex with a kids' club.
At eight or nine I passed the exam for Notting Hill and Ealing High, a private school. I had an assisted place; I was always the one who, for financial reasons, didn't go on the skiing trip or whatever.
Getting the spot of 'Blue Peter' changed the path of my life.
The one thing more important to my parents than my career is that I am happily married.
My first ever interview for 'Blue Peter' was a film with JK Rowling.
I guess when you're on 'Blue Peter' there's that goody-two-shoes image which people find attractive.
We as parents, and the control culture, it is our responsibility to make sure we give the right perceived norms and the right cultural conditions.
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.
