You co-founded the fashion label FrostFrench with Sadie Frost and it's obviously important to look good in your line of work. What's your secret?

I really enjoy making the effort. I like getting ready to go out, putting on make-up, having a long bath, choosing an outfit, styling things.

Would you ever go under the surgeon's knife?

Never say never.

What's on the wish list?

I have thought long, hard and often about having a boob job, but the thought also terrifies me. What if I went ahead and didn't like it? That would be awful. So I've invested in a good padded bra, and I'm fine.

So, 100 per cent confident in your own skin?

Not all the time. But you grow and learn only when you have to dig deep within yourself. It all became a lot easier when I came to terms with the fact that life is quite difficult.

Any body issues?

Not really. I modelled a bit years ago. It was glamorous to be able to say that I was modelling, but it wasn't.

Did you feel the size-zero pressure then?

Definitely not. I was slightly chubby - I'm quite skinny now, something that happened after I had children.

Conscious effort to slim?

It wasn't deliberate. I think that my metabolism quickened, which often happens when women breast-feed. I don't have any puppy fat left; my boobs have gone as well.

Is body shape an issue you have had to tackle with your four daughters?

I try to get them to eat healthily and sensibly - and to exercise. I think all teenagers go through a period when they have issues, but they are very happy, well-rounded kids. My oldest is Lily, 18, then Dewi, 16, Edie, 11, and Meadow, 5.

Organic or anything goes?

Mostly organic. I'm vegetarian - although I eat fish - but I don't force it on my children or Francis, my partner.

Why no meat?

I do a lot of yoga and became quite fanatical about it. I found that the more I did yoga, the more my diet changed. One day I read Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, which talks about the ethics behind eating meat. I found it really disturbing, particularly when it came to the slaughter of animals. Hand in hand with the yoga, I felt that it wasn't somethingI wanted to take part in. I gave it up about a year ago.

Feel healthier?

Much.

Any vices?

I smoke. Giving up is the next thing on my list. I probably smoke five on a good day, ten on a bad. Unfortunately, I still enjoy it.

Worry about setting your children a bad example?

I'd be mortified to see my eldest daughter with a cigarette, but I'm open to the possibility that it might happen.

What about the sauce?

I gave up about 18 months ago because I got the worst hangovers. I don't miss it.

Top-up your lifestyle with sessions in the gym?

I used to, but I always felt quite half-hearted about it once I got there. With yoga, I can't wait. I go about four times a week.

Exercise as a family, too?

We swim a lot, go on big walks and climb trees, but we certainly don't all go for a family jog.

You lived in Bali; did it influence you?

Definitely. They express a lot of gratitude for very simple things, with simple rules for hygiene, cleanliness and health. And I like meditation. I find it easy to get into that sort of zone. It's nice having something in your life that you can't completely explain.

Are you spiritual?

Yes. I read a lot of spiritual books and would recommend The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, by Eckhart Tolle, and The Road Less Travelled, by M. Scott Peck. I love discovering about the mind and how it works; why we think the way we do, and how we can correct it.

Also believe in the healing words of prayer?

I come from an atheist background, where if you mentioned God at the lunch table you'd get sent into a different room. Maybe it's my rebellious streak, but I do believe in a power greater than me, definitely.

What about alternative medicine?

I believe in homoeopathy and I've had acupuncture. It was for period pains or something like that. I can't really remember, but it worked. I'd still see a conventional doctor though, depending on what the complaint was.

What makes you happy?

Peace of mind. Knowing that my children are happy and that I'm doing the best that I can with any given situation.

Fairy godmother, please change.

I'd like to be younger, with what I know now. But I wouldn't like to learn it all over again.

INTERVIEW: HARRIET ADDISON

Jemima French is an ambassador for the Braun Care to be Confident campaign for the Silk Epil Xpressive, £69.99. For its free booklet call 0800 7837010

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