The home I grew up in ... was a semi-detached pebble-dash in Watford. I used to tell people we had sheep in our back garden, and a balcony. I wanted to sound interesting. I felt inadequate because we were poor.
When I was a child I wanted to be ... rich and famous. I got brainwashed by the American Dream and thought money meant never worrying about anything ever again.
My greatest inspiration is ... my daughter, Bluebell. I also admire Nelson Mandela, Angelina Jolie, JK Rowling and Maya Angelou.
The moment that changed me for ever was ... when my dad died. I was 21 years old and crippled with grief. I was motivated to pursue my career with all my might, as a way of avoiding my pain. I call it "death energy".
I wish I'd never worn ... an American flag motif swimsuit to the MTV Awards when I was in the Spice Girls. This was me hating myself and hiding under mountains of make-up.
I drive ... an old Merc, and a fat Lexus, which is beaten up and practical.
If I could change one thing about myself... I'd change my need to please others. I can lose the sight of who I am and get swept away with something that isn't true to me.
At night I dream of ... all sorts: anxiety, action, and sometimes of love.
What I see when I look in the mirror ... one minute I see a sexy, cute girl, and the next I see a fat, tired woman; it depends how I'm feeling internally. I'm trying to accept what's there; whichever way, it is what it is.
My style icon ... I love women who dress in a ladylike fashion. Victoria Beckham is inspirational with her Audrey Hepburn lines, and Gwen Stefani is never seen without that red lipstick, which I admire.
My real-life villain ... is myself, I can be my own worst enemy. I'm slowly learning to quash the stern voice in my head that tells me I'm not good enough. I realise that it serves no one, especially myself.
A book that changed me ... there are a few. I read 'Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway' by Susan Jeffers, and then left the Spice Girls. Later, I read Harry Potter and wanted to write my own fiction.
The last album I bought ... was a Mozart piano concerto, which sounds pretentious. But then I'm also rediscovering Christina Aguilera's 'Stripped' . She is a real artist.
The person who really makes me laugh ... is Michael MacIntyre. I saw him perform live recently. He's a great man and very refreshing. I'm hilarious as well, we shouldn't forget – or at least I think I am.
My favourite work of art ... is 'Flaming June', by Frederic Lord Leighton. I've had a print on my wall since I was 19 years old, when I had my first studio bedsit. I've always loved pre-Raphaelite art.
My favourite item of clothing ... is my saggy old Paper Denim & Cloth jeans, which I've had for 10 years. I actually prefer no clothes – clothes make me feel fat.
You may not know it but I'm very good at ... reverse parking. I can get my big fat car in small spots. And I'm very good at kissing.
You may not know it but I'm no good at ... waiting, but I am getting better. And I'm terrible at dieting. I'll be eating cookies by midday if I decide I'm on a diet.
All my money goes on ... Bluebell. I prefer to buy clothes for her than for me. She is like my little doll – I like to dress her up in Victorian clothes.
If I have time to myself ... I read, or practise the piano, which I'm learning at the moment. I feel like music is an expression of the soul.
My house is ... my haven, I never want to leave it. It's so comfortable and just being there makes me happy.
My most valuable possession is ... my daughter. She's not a possession, but she is mine. She is the only person I value over anything in my life. I would die for her.
My favourite building ... the Bibendum [the old Michelin building in South Kensington] and the Hoover building on the A40.
Movie heaven ... 'Slumdog Millionaire' and 'Son of Rambow'. I like small, sweet movies that make me cry or challenge me.
The best invention ever ... sat nav is the best and the worst.
My greatest regret ... is having sold my old monastery – and not doing Wembley Stadium with the Spice Girls.
My life in six words ... an outstanding adventure fuelled with love.
A life in brief
Geri Halliwell – aka Ginger Spice – was born in Hertfordshire in August 1972. After a lucrative career with the Spice Girls, she left to pursue a solo career, and has more recently turned her hand to children's literature. She has a three-year-old daughter, Bluebell, and lives in Goring-on-Thames. Halliwell's six-part Ugenia Lavender series is published by Macmillan Children's Books, £4.99
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