Scuba diving in Costa Rica. My stunt double and I were trying out some equipment that let us talk to each other and I ran out of air at 80ft - probably because I talked too much. I had to use his air. Then we were surrounded by sharks. It was scary.

The London terror attack on 7/7 in 2005. I was in London the day before for the Olympic bid. When we won I thought, “I should stay over – it will be a great party tonight.” But I decided to go back to Manchester for training. Bombs went off on what would have been my route to the station.

I have more than once in my time woken up feeling like death. But nothing prepared me for the early morning last June when I came to consciousness feeling as if I were actually shackled to my own corpse. The whole cave of my chest and thorax seemed to have been hollowed out and then refilled with slow-drying cement. I could faintly hear myself breathe but could not manage to inflate my lungs. My heart was beating either much too much or much too little. Any movement, however slight, required forethought and planning.

Giving birth is much more treacherous than people let on.

Sydney mardi gras, 1993.

My education. Benedictine monks didn’t really prepare me for the life I have lived.

My cold indifference towards discarded friends.

I’ve made some terrible remarks about people over the years in the interests of light entertainment, and I regret them all.

Dame Joan Collins. She insists on being happy whatever is going on and, despite being a Tory, is a very caring person.

Running out of Molecule cologne.