NICOLE SCHERZINGER

Although religion was around me my whole life I never felt it was forced upon me. It is my centring, my grounding, the soul of me. I feel I'm nothing without it.

I was a shy kid, but somehow I knew I would make it as a performer. I'd always be telling my mum that I was going to be a famous singer. In my school yearbooks I would write, 'Remember me when I'm famous.' I knew I had a gift.

My bulimia was my addiction. Hurting myself was my addiction... The music is what saved me. That's the only thing I can trust.

When you break a sweat you just feel great. You've got your endorphins going. You feel better. You look better. And if you aren't able to get a workout in, try to find a steam room somewhere. You just look and feel so much better after a sweat.

Love makes me vulnerable. In business I'm tough on myself - I'm like a drill sergeant. If I'm down, I'm used to getting right back up, but when it comes to love, your heart can't do that.

I love what I do and I strive to be better; that's what keeps me going. I'm never a slacker, always a striver.

I've always had a fighter's spark in me. I was born with it. I think it's in my blood.

I don't really believe in diets. I love food... If I deprive myself, I'm going to want it more. I snack on yogurt, raw cashews and cherry tomatoes.

I've never seen myself as sexy. I see myself as a goofball.

My favorite songs are the ones that really come from the heart.

I see lots of women having beautiful children later in life. And, if not, just freeze your eggs!

I don't like my thighs, the back of my legs or my chubby knees. I wear clothes that show off my legs in pictures and videos but not often when I'm appearing live.

It's important for a woman to feel good in her clothes. It's OK to have curves and to work them.

When I'm a mum, I'm not going to be one of those mums who has nannies. Actually, I might have nannies - never say never - but I'm not having someone else raise my kids.

Confidence comes with maturity, being more accepting of yourself.

I would be a horrible lip-syncher. I would only ever sing live - that's why people come and see the show. It's not the easiest thing in the world to sing and dance at the same time, which is why I'm grateful to be able to do both.

I love a man with a great sense of humor and who is intelligent - a man who has a great smile. He has to make me laugh. I like a man who is very ambitious and driven and who has a good heart and makes me feel safe. I like a man who is very strong and independent and confident - that is very sexy - but at the same time, he's very kind to people.

I love making down-home Southern cooking, and just chilling out and having cakes and pies and baking stuff, you know. I'm a pretty simple girl.

I come from a strong religious background, and I had a very conservative upbringing. So I was nervous, and confused. Here I was wanting to be Whitney Houston, so why did I have to dress in lingerie to do that? I didn't get it.

Music is my passion - it's what I love and it's in my blood. You can never take me away from my work.

I'm definitely not the type to have a sing-off. I'm not catty like that. I sing for the right reasons.

I think shoulders are sexier than cleavage.

I'm going to take care of the man I'm with. I grew up in a household where my mum takes care of my dad - she cooks, she does everything - and that's the kind of girl I am.

To be honest, I miss the old Hollywood way of having some mystique about the star.

I've always been too hard on myself to behave like I've arrived or even to enjoy whatever success I've had. I've always envisioned myself higher than where I was and I still do. With each success I think, 'That's nice but I'm supposed to go there!'