Most of my friends are male. And I've known some of them to literally go through mental breakdowns and still not talk about how they feel. Except to me. My shoulders are sodden with the tears of men.
— Jameela Jamil
School was horrific for me, constantly an outcast for being a geek.
I essentially grew up listening to Radio 1, the chart show in particular. It was a routine, as for many young people. Every Sunday, I waited patiently to be told who was on top.
Something I can't stress enough is the massive importance of work experience. It's the only way to find out what work is really like when you're figuring out what path to take and to get an understanding of what it takes to achieve your career ambitions.
Every twist and turn in life is an opportunity to learn something new about yourself, your interests, your talents, and how to set and then achieve goals.
One of the perks of growing up, but also one of the biggest challenges, is making decisions about the future. Deciding what kind of job you want, whether you want to finish school, or whether you want to go to university are huge choices to make.
We're in a situation where talented, motivated school leavers and graduates can send off a hundred CVs and not get a reply, and where a trip to the Job Centre is depressing rather than inspirational. And you know what, that just feels wrong.
People don't tend to be unhappy in jobs doing something that they love, so I think it's important that those entering the world of work for the first time are given as much information as possible on how to get into the career that they want.
One of the brilliant things I realised after I'd left school is that there are so many ways you can learn. I do this best on the job.
I couldn't wait to leave school. So I did it as soon as I possibly could at 16. I had no clue what I wanted to do next other than being at school wasn't it and that I was desperate to make my own way as soon as I could.
I am a Radio 1 DJ and campaigner for women feeling confident at every size.
I find it infuriating that in this industry, size 10 and above is defined as 'plus size,' especially when the average dress size in the U.K. is a 16.
At no point in my thirty years have I ever felt truly represented by the fashion industry.
What does this Heidi Parker look like pregnant? What does she look like first thing in the morning? Or bending over? What do any of these bloody 'journalists' look like that makes them find the normal appearance of celebrities so offensive?
I didn't really have a group of friends 'till I was 19, and I didn't kiss anyone until I was 21.
I've always been passionate about the concept of helping the underdog. It just doesn't make sense to me as to what kind of person would take a huge platform and not use it to do something, to change something, to help people.
Hopefully, no one will feel self-conscious in anything that I've designed.
I've got quite an old-fashioned figure. Back in the Sixties, girls had boobs, a tummy and wide hips, and bigger thighs as well. I think that's sexy - to me, that's what a woman looks like. I've got love handles - sometimes they're passion handles! I'm built for comfort, not for speed, and I like that about myself.
I look back at my old school journals, and they're full of self-hatred, full of me condemning myself for not being prettier, richer, more popular.
Radio 1 has always championed women; take Annie Nightingale, for example. One of my heroes.
Along the way, I learned a lot about being told I didn't have the right skills for the jobs I wanted and how to overcome the setbacks and keep pushing forward. This is why I've become an Ambassador for LifeSkills, a programme created by Barclays to help one million young people get the skills they need for work.
For me, growing up felt like a roller coaster ride at times, but looking back, I don't think that it was such a bad thing. It was all part of the excitement of being young.
I got my transferrable skills from working at entry-level, gauging what I wanted from my career, and making sure I had what it took to get the one I truly wanted. But now there's a Catch 22: school leavers need experience to get jobs, but they can't get experience without jobs.
The economy, unemployment, the future... Politicians, economists, and journalists are constantly debating these key issues for our country but rarely come to an answer. But behind all this, there is a fairly simple truth: no matter what anybody says, jobs are hard to come by.
To those out of work, it may seem unfair for someone to complain that they aren't happy with the type of work they are doing, but the more we like our jobs, the better we do them. In the long run, this doesn't just make us happy - it makes businesses more successful and increases employment even further.
Surround yourself with people and things that inspire you. Learn everything you can.
Food or the lack thereof can, at times, be coping mechanisms for people. While this isn't the best approach to good health, it's a part of people's realities. And it is nothing to be ashamed of.
There shouldn't be a segregation of women over a size 16, it should just be all women who want to wear beautiful clothes.
When I was a model at 15, I was eating one red pepper a day, and if I had a big day of castings, I would survive off a bag of Haribo, which gave me the 500 calories a day that would keep me alive. I was congratulated daily on my appearance - the more vertebrae upon my back you could count, the better my auditions went.
I am an Asian woman. I am a size 12 Asian woman. I have been a size 18 Asian woman. I have been a size 6 Asian woman. I have been a size 18 disabled Asian woman.
What kind of woman tries to fat-shame a heavily pregnant woman?
If you have time to get your pet rabbit its own Instagram account, you have time to at least tweet about something important.
Britain's way of dealing with disability is just to try and pretend it's not happening. A swift sweep under the carpet.
I like the fact that Tess Holliday is comfortable in her own skin and loves herself. I think that's a hugely positive message that women of all sizes really need to adopt.
I used to wear these big shapeless clothes and ended up just looking like a potato in a sack. I've learnt now to accentuate the bits that I'm happiest with. That's probably my waist - a lot of my clothes go in at the waist and emphasise my hips, which I'm very proud of.
People are so passionate about their favourite artists making it to number 1, it almost reminds me of football fanaticism. Nowadays, it's 'One Direction' vs 'The Wanted.' Back in my day, it was 'Oasis' vs 'Blur'.
Some young people can rely on a privileged background and great connections to get work experience, but I don't believe anybody can be guaranteed success nowadays.
There was a time when I was young and unemployed, struggling to start my career. During my A-Levels, I was hit by a car, which shattered my bones and left me confined to my bedroom for a year. Weirdly, it was the best thing that ever happened to me.
Sometimes life limits your choices - rising tuition costs may put university out of reach, or like me, personal circumstances might simply make it difficult to complete your education.
If someone had told me age 14 to start making serious decisions about my career, I'd have laughed!
Having an education is extremely valuable, but we need to help people connect their choice of studies to a potential career at an earlier age so that they are better prepared to get the job they want when the time comes.
It feels great to know that more people are finding work and gaining the experience, not to mention self-confidence, that they need.
I suffered a lot of setbacks when I started; I didn't have any work experience and no real confidence to go after the career that I knew in the back of my mind I really wanted. It affected my confidence as knock-back after knock-back left me feeling like I might never succeed.
Many weight issues stem from illness, be it physical or, indeed, emotional. And a large portion of people who sometimes struggle to maintain a 'healthy' weight deal daily with their own self-esteem crises.
We really shouldn't be putting a label on size. Fashion is for all, and I think confidence and happiness is more important than dress labels.
For a while, I became a model scout and agent, thinking naively I could change the industry from the inside, and even kicked off the famous 'size zero debate' with an article I wrote to the 'Evening Standard' about my concerns from behind the curtain of the business, back in 2005.
Kim Kardashian was the first time I've seen a woman tormented about her weight gain while having a baby. But at least she asks for that attention by voluntarily obsessing over her weight publicly on her social media. But now nobody is safe.
I'm not saying all men are likely to cheat.
So many people are campaigning, fighting, and even dying to make a statement in the name of humanity. These people have no voice that can be heard by many. I wish more celebrities would take the initiative to be that voice.
I thought it would be more of a challenge than it was to cater for every size, but as you're aware of a woman's curves - they're kind of like a race track - you can create something glamorous and beautiful.
