You say steroids is like the dirty word of body building – how come?
It’s basically a sex hormone. A man taking steroids will start to turn into a woman and a woman will start to turn into a man. And you can die; many people have died from heart attacks at a very young age – 28 or 30 years old. As you see in the film, there are people whose heart or brain has exploded, or their lungs have filled with water. The conclusion is steroids are really bad for you.
I’ve been offered steroids loads of times
You say you’ve always been religiously steroid-free, but have you ever been tempted?
No, never, and I’ve been offered steroids loads of times. But I care about my body too much and I wouldn’t put anything into it that I didn’t know the ins and outs of. I’ve never even tried cocaine or ecstasy - I don’t want something in my body when I don’t know what it’s going to do to me, either short or long term.
You’ve undone a grueling regime to transform yourself into a bodybuilder – what work goes into keeping yourself in top physical shape?
I train hard and I have a healthy diet. Right now, I’m not dieting - I’m actually sitting here with a chocolate bar. But I get my five a day and I have lots of protein; if I haven’t had a load of egg whites I’ll make sure I have a protein shake, even when I’m not training. When I’m not competing I will eat cake and pizza, but everything in moderation.
How often do you spend in the gym every day?
It could be anything from 45 minutes to four hours. If I’m competing it could be three or four hours a day. I’m not obsessive; it’s just a healthy way to be - if I fancy an hour on the treadmill I’ll do it. Other days I might be tired and I can’t be bothered. When you’re competing it’s a different story because you have to do it.
How do you wind down when you’re not training?
Right now I’m not training at all but that’s because I’m currently building a gym in my house. As soon as it’s finished I’ll be training again. I sleep better when I train; everything is better in my life when I’m training.
Do you ever have a fat day?
Oh God, yeah - all the time at the moment because I’m not training or dieting! I’ve gone up to a size eight, and when I’m training I’m usually a size zero. So to me I feel massive, but I don’t obsess over it because I know it will only take three weeks for me to get a six-pack again.
What kind of things do people say to you when you’re out and about?
Everyone is lovely. I meet the most amazing people; the reception I get now is just incredible. But sometimes when you’re out food shopping you just want to grab some eggs and bread and you haven’t got time to be having 20 photographs taken and signing all these autographs. I’m not being rude; I just genuinely have about five minutes spare.
When / if you relax, how do you like to put your feet up?
I don’t really; I walk my dogs or have a cuddle with them on the sofa. I’ve got three bulldogs and a pug, and I’ve got two cats as well. It’s a bit of a full house. I don’t relax that much, there’s always something to do.
Is there one thing you can’t live without?
My Kindle. I can’t go to sleep at night unless I’ve read a good four chapters of whatever book I’m reading, which at the moment is Sophie Kinsella’s Wedding Night. I read lots of different subjects but I like a chick lit, it’s an easy read.
Are you single at the moment?
I’m single and certainly not looking for a man at the moment, but my ideal man would be intelligent, kind and funny.
Jodie Marsh On…Steroids, Fri 22 Oct, 10pm, TLC