There are always younger and better dancers fighting to get your place. You get worn down by the fight to try to stay at the top.
— Darcey Bussell
This perception that we can be stars without any work and just appear is rubbish.
I've always been quite famous for my nose.
You tend to regret the things you haven't done.
When I started on 'Strictly,' I was terrified. Live television seemed like the most daunting thing in the world.
One thing I've learned from 'Strictly' is timing and the craft of the talk.
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.'
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.
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.
Life is short, so go for things you enjoy.
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.
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.
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.
I don't get much sleep, so I have really bad bags under my eyes.
In the dance world, it has to be in your genetic make-up - your body has to suit the training.
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 dye my hair, and I use teeth whitening strips. Unless I burnt myself or damaged my skin, I wouldn't have cosmetic surgery.
I worked very hard to be a diva. But it never worked.
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.
Ever since I've given up dancing, every physiotherapist or Pilates teacher has said you have to keep moving. If I don't, I'll have a hundred times more injuries because you get weak areas on your body.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 never imagined I'd be a presenter on television, but I'm happy to put myself out of my comfort zone.
The jogging machine makes me go insane with boredom.
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.
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.
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 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.
If you have enough ambition, you can create talent!
Looking after myself is something I probably have to be much more conscious of than the average person.
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've come to realise that being on 'Strictly' is like being in another theatre company and performing a live production.
Everything is not beautiful at the ballet. It's tough.
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.
Being a ballerina can be a very unnatural life, especially after you've had children.
Weirdly, I didn't even know that I said 'yah' all the time.
The Royal Academy of Dance is an institution that trains to a very high standard.
Even after having children, after five months I was dancing again, which was kind of crazy.
My 'new' knee now feels like a bionic knee compared with my old one.
Keeping off wheat helps my energy levels.
I love chocolate, but it's bad.
I know some people aspire to a ballerina's body, but I looked forward to feeling more feminine.
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.
Being on stage taught me how to apply eyeliner.
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.
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.
Confidence comes from other places, not just how you look.
