Training gloves, hand wraps

When I was six years old I liked running, I liked netball and I did a lot of sports. When I was about 15 I was picked to competitively play netball for Birmingham and aged 16 or 17 I trained with England.

From age eight I wanted to do kick-boxing, but there were no facilities in Birmingham at the time, so I started with boxing. I went to boxing alone. My parents were supportive of it because it was exercise and a good way to get a bit of aggression out.

I later took up aikido, karate, judo and mixed martial arts. I have a black belt in aikido and karate. I think watching films like Karate Kid and people like Bruce Lee got me into it. I was a big fan of Bruce Lee. Sport kept me focussed and out of trouble, particularly in the area I lived in at the time.

Little lady kicking trophy missing base, medal, gumshield

On my first karate fight in competition my competitor gave me a ‘whoosh’ past my face. My natural instinct at this moment was to give her a right hook to her face. This is an illegal move in karate, so I was immediately disqualified.

Her sensei came up to me after and said, “You’re really talented but you’re too aggressive, you need to go into full contact”. So, I took up mixed martial arts.

In my first MMA competition, I was cacking my pants and thought I was gonna get my butt kicked. After 20 fights, I ended up winning the whole competition.

Rolled clothes, items taken abroad with me

I’d say I’m quite spontaneous. At two points in my life I’ve just packed up and went to live abroad with my kids, just for the experience of a different culture.

In 2000 we moved to Brentwood, Canada. It was almost like the grove in Neighbours. I got bored quickly though as it was generally like the UK, only boring-er. We lived there for six months, then returned.

In 2005 we moved to Cabanas, Portugal. We had been visiting there for a few years on holiday and my partner at the time’s parents bought a holiday home out there. It was a pain to get the children into school. We lived there for about a year but I got really homesick. My daughter Tara had to come back to Birmingham for her exams and I couldn’t bear for the family to be separated.

Cushion, x-ray of coccyx

I was born with what I call ‘a monkey tail’, a condition that affects the spine and its growth. Mum said, ‘It’s cuz you’re a cheeky monkey, that’s why you’ve got it”. Aged seven, I had an operation to remove a bit of my spine to stop the growth of it.

From an early age I’ve been told, “you shouldn’t do this”. Before my operation, I was restricted in my movements and had to be careful in case I knocked my spine, as it could paralyse me. Even having my children with an epidural could have paralysed me. It should have stopped me from doing a lot of things, sports, martial arts, running and having kids.

Instead it has spurred me on more to prove that I will do it.

Photograph taken of me on this podium

From 1995 I worked as a podium dancer in Ritzy. I was underage at the time, but I auditioned and got accepted. Everyone else in the audition danced like students from Fame. I got on the podium and busted some ‘in da club’ moves.

Every shift as well as the wage you’d get a free drink and food, so I was happy. In my dancing ‘career’ I was a backing dancer for CJ Lewis and Baby Dee. I also remember a night out partying with the Village People where we ended up dancing in ‘the cage’ at Tin Tin’s.

I have no training and am a 100% self-trained dancer. Thanks to The Box and The Cable for giving me the dance moves. You don’t need training to look good on the dance floor, follow the music.

Size 9 dancing shoes, gold sequin dress, Pornstar Martini

I’ve had lots of fun nights out that I probably shouldn’t talk about. I kind of ran Digbeth at one point, I love Digbeth.

Kelly was always my partner in crime but she died a couple of years ago. One night out, her partner was trying to get her to go home early. So, we took off our shoes and hid together inside an umbrella that we put over our heads. The DJ found my shoes, which are size 9, and said, “Is there a transvestite who has lost their shoes? We have them behind the bar”. I thought from inside the umbrella, “The cheeky bugger, they’re mine”.

You need a bit of fun in your life don’t you. There’s enough seriousness in the world. If you can’t laugh and enjoy life, there’s no point in living. My party trick is knowing all of the words to Ice Ice Baby and Informer.

Map of Mouse Island, bikini

Before we were together, my partner Peter chased me and I wasn’t interested. But he was persistent, so I eventually gave in. He had an Irish accent.

In 2018 we went to Corfu together. We saw people on the beach swimming to an island in the middle of the ocean and they looked like a dot in the distance. I said to Peter, “We can do that”.

We did it just to see if we could, and… I could. As I came close to the island, I looked back to find Peter who had grabbed a lift off a passing boat. Just like James Bond. I thought, “You lazy gett”.

What I didn’t realise when I landed on Mouse Island was… I had to swim back.

Pregnancy scans, objects from children and grandchildren

My kids are my absolute world, and the reason I’m not doing murder.

I have three children, Tara (1994), Sophie (1996) and Luke (2002), three grandchildren, Rosie-Leigh (7), Grace (3), Finley (1) with one more on the way expected on 23rd March. I’ve been at the birth of two of my grandchildren, and just last week I was with Sophie for the 12 week scan of her second child.

Tara lives up in Newcastle with her two children, so I am up there all the time, and Sophie lives Yardley, just round the corner, so I see them all the time too. Sophie’s and her first born Rosie-Leigh lived with me for the first two years. Naturally Rosie-Leigh calls me the best nanny ever. Rosie-Leigh’s other nanny isn’t thrilled about that. But I am.

Anniversary clock, photo albums

My parents Coleen and Eric are both hard working. Coleen is Welsh and Eric is Irish so I’m a Celtic cocktail. There were six siblings in our family. Up until March 2020, my parents have cared for my younger brother Shaun for all of his life.

They have given him 24 hour care, and helped him get diagnosed. Autism wasn’t really known then, so it was very much trial and error for them.

In lockdown 1, my Dad had a stroke. To help with caring for Shaun, I stayed with them, sleeping on the floor for a year. I put my career on hold and decided then that it was time that I took on the caring responsibilities for Shaun. I said to them, “Shaun, you’re coming to live with me”.

Best Sister card, CD’s, and a few things that Shaun loves (mainly food)

Shaun was born with autism, Tourette’s and epilepsy. He requires 24 hour care. He was born about three years before my eldest daughter, so Shaun was my practice baby before I had my own.

Before I took on the caring responsibilities for Shaun I had a couple of years of freedom where my own children had moved out. That freedom only lasted so long. Although I had been caring for my brother in some ways since his birth, becoming the primary carer was a real adjustment.

I took on the caring responsibility, because I love him, love him, love him, love him. We have that connection and bond and I get his sense of humour. We have the craic. If people ask my why I have taken on this responsibility… …because I can. I will. And I have.