“I have experienced ageism and sexism. In my 20s, I was told by a camer...” — Toyah Willcox Quote

I have experienced ageism and sexism. In my 20s, I was told by a camera lighting man I needed plastic surgery. In my 30s I was constantly told I needed to lose weight.

My mother, Barbara, was a dancer from the age of 14 to 19. She toured with the comedian Max Wall in a dance group of six girls.

My relationship with my father was absolutely wonderful. He was the love of my life and pivotal in my life. He was a good, kind man with very strong Buddhist and spiritual beliefs. He could do no wrong and he was my best friend until he died in 2009.

I had no interest in people telling me to be feminine, to be ladylike, to wear dresses - it just made me rebel completely.

For artists of my caliber, we're not played on the radio, so we don't really get a chance to get involved in that debate at all. We don't get a chance, because this weird kind of ageism exists in pop music. If you're past a certain age, you're not relevant. That's the kind of cliched term.

Don't do this ageism thing in Hip Hop. Don't be an OG and tell me these young, rich cats ain't doing it right. Don't tell me that, man.

The beautiful thing is that ageism just doesn't exist on 'EastEnders.' The show saved me.

All my life, I faced sexism and racism and then, when I hit 40, ageism.

There is no ageism or 'youthism' when it comes to freedom of speech. We are all citizens.