I refused to describe myself as an actress until 'EastEnders' because, until then, I couldn't support myself without doing other jobs.
— Anita Dobson
I can do glamour, but I can also play something like I did in the play 'Wild Justice,' where I was demented with grief and anger, and there was snot coming out of my nose, and my clothes were all over the place.
I went into acting because I wanted to be seen being someone else, not me!
Radio means you can play parts that aren't based on your looks or your age. It's a lot of fun. You can do tremendous things - play more diverse characters - that you wouldn't get to do in theatre or TV.
I didn't have children because I was passionate about having my career.
I first got engaged when I was 19, but I just knew there was more of life out there for me. I called it off six weeks before the wedding. I felt terribly guilty because he was such a nice boy, and I was in love with him. But it was the wrong time.
Whether the public like me or not, I am who I am.
I think if you make a decision to leave a job, a home, a relationship, then you've usually got a pretty major reason to do so, and you should probably stick with that.
I was always slightly afraid of marriage because I didn't like the idea of being tied down. Even when I met Brian, when I was in my mid-thirties, I didn't actually see it on the cards for us. He was a huge rock star, and our lives were very different.
People were following me home in cars, singing outside my window at my flat. I couldn't go to pubs or supermarkets or walk down the street. It was bizarre, but that was my life.
I was appearing on 'Top of the Pops' when I was in my mid-thirties or something. It was fantastic! But it was the weirdest thing, I'll admit. Was I me? Was I Angie Watts? Was I me as Angie? I didn't have a clue, but I was having enormous fun all the same.
I was brought up in the East End, and if a man was inappropriate in a bar, you'd throw your drink over him.
In the days of 'EastEnders,' I couldn't go into a pub or supermarket, as people would recognise me and follow me home.
Wonderful things happened to me - I met my husband, I got invited to previews and premieres, I was asked to do fashion shoots and front covers of magazines. You've just got to embrace it and do the best you can.
You turn down work you feel you've already done.
I'm pretty fit. We've got a lot of stairs in our house, and I'm up and down them all the time. Plus, I don't smoke, and I'm vegetarian.
I think you can do as much damage to yourself going to the gym and running as you do good. So my mission in life is just to keep myself 'good' - in good health, as fit as I can be, a little bit of stretching, and just think positive and enjoy life.
My father was a dress cutter, and my mother was a tailoress, so I was brought up to appreciate a good frock.
I have loved being a step-mum to Brian's children. We have a great relationship, and it's lovely to spend time with the grandchildren.
Even people who aren't pleasant to deal with - it's often because they're unhappy, and something's still not resolved for them.
I've been working in radio on and off for most of my career. There's a restfulness about it. It's more focused on the voice, so you don't have to worry about extraneous things like sound effects, as there's someone there to look after that.
You can't stop getting older; you just have to keep going and laugh a lot.
Once, I was followed by a car when I was driving. Every time I sped up, the car sped up, and when I slowed down, it slowed down. Eventually, I stopped, got out and screamed, 'What do you want?' He said, 'I just wanted to give you some flowers because I'm such a fan.' I felt awful. He was just being kind.
I was invited to see Queen at Wembley - I think it was the last tour they did, and then afterwards, they had a huge party, which I was invited to - it was all thanks to EastEnders.
I don't love the fact that gravity is winning as I get older, but there's also a calmness that comes with it, which I'm secretly enjoying.
When I walked away from my role as Angie in 'Eastenders' all those years ago, it was a huge risk, but I always had this great desire to do so many things.
If I had to live on a desert island, and somebody gave me a chicken, there's no way I'd kill it - I'd call it Henry and make it my friend.
If you're a good actor, you should be able to do soap, comedy, Shakespeare, musicals, pantomime, and something like 'Frozen.' Of course, you will be better at some things, but who says you can't do them all? The intent should always be to stretch yourself and broaden your horizons.
I'm up at the crack of dawn. If I'm filming, then I'll wake at 5 A.M. so that I can get on set and made up before the cameras start rolling.
Every morning, I have a coffee to wake up my system, but I don't think you should eat just because it's a meal time, so I often won't have breakfast until late morning.
I went from being a jobbing actress who was just earning a living to being the second most photographed woman in Britain, next to Princess Diana - but it was exciting, too, and I wouldn't have swapped it for a second.
I thought that's where I would go: I would become a Shakespearian actor.
I got extremely fit and slim on 'Strictly,' but I did find that, each week, a different part of my body hurt. It really makes you realise the hard work dancers have to put in and how fit they have to be.
People who are geniuses, once they get going, you really have to keep up.
My parents used to go ballroom dancing in their latter years, and it gave them so much pleasure.
Going to drama school was the start of my journey of discovery and getting to know myself.
'Silver Street' was a very happy time for me.
You don't get everything in life. You make decisions and have to live by them. If you make the right decisions, at the time you have no regrets.
I love to chit-chat and used to be the first to arrive at a party and the last to leave.
I've got a great life - my friends, my marriage, my career, my health - and I'm on 'Strictly,' and I'm learning to dance.
You learn to accept losing someone, but you never get over it.
It's important to me to keep testing myself in life so that I don't get pigeonholed.
I came from nothing.
I'm a great believer that you should always tell people they are wonderful, as we're all insecure at heart, especially in our industry.
I am very glad I did 'EastEnders,' and I'm flattered that people still remember me in it.
Usually, I'm asleep by midnight.
For me, to be on television and not be afraid of making a mistake is freeing.
People are innately curious.
I think when I started out, when I was very young, I wanted to be an actor and do the great epic tragedies.
The last place you'll find me is the gym. It seems to me to be a waste of time - I could spend that time doing so many other things.
