Andrea McLean quotes:

I'm not an interior designer - I'm a normal working mum who wants her house to look good and doesn't need a man to do it for her.

Peppers, garlic, hazelnuts and brazil nuts make my mouth, tongue and eyes swell and itch within minutes of eating them.

People think I'm Snow White... the most boring person in the world!

I grew up on a sugar plantation in Trinidad, on an expat estate, and that meant I had no idea about money until a lot later than most children.

I find DIY really therapeutic. I lose myself in it, because you can concentrate on the task and not think about all the other stuff going on in your life.

The truth is I was nicely brought up and taught not to show my rage even though it was building up inside.

I do most of my shopping over the Internet because as a busy working mum I can do the supermarket shop when the kids have gone to bed.

I've always been interested in DIY and home renovation - even from my first student flat. I've always left places better than when I moved in.

I used to think everything had to be perfect, but now I know perfection doesn't exist - life comes with bumps and grazes.

The only time I've ever taken out a loan is for the building work I had done at our house and I did that by extending the mortgage.

I very rarely use a credit card, but I do if I know I have big bills coming and I need to stagger payment.

Eating at home is fine, as I can easily work around the foods that don't agree with me and still eat heartily with the rest of my family. I don't force them to follow my diet.