My London: Gail Porter

Where do you live and why? In Belsize Park. I moved there so I could take my dog for walks on Primrose Hill. It's great - really villagey.

How long have you lived there? Just a year. Before that, I lived in an apartment in Soho.

Where were the last three places you went on holiday? My honeymoon in Crete was the most recent. I was booked to go to Italy but I had to change it because I was working the next day. Before that St Lucia, again with my husband. And before that Bali, where I was doing Wish You Were Here? Luckily, they let me have a few days off.

What advice would you give to a tourist? Don't wear T-shirts that say 'London' on them. It's a giveaway for muggers.

Who is in your secret address book? Semmalina off Sloane Square is a great kids' store --I've been buying loads of clothes for my daughter, Honey, there. Also a gym in Soho called The Third Space. It's got everything - a climbing wall, martial arts classes, the lot.

What have been your most memorable London meals? I've had some great meals in a restaurant called Little Italy in Soho. They've all been very memorable in a way, even though I can't remember them as the wine is so free-flowing I have to be helped out of the restaurant.

What is your earliest London memory? When I was 13, I came to London with the Edinburgh Acting School to see some plays. I remember being in Leicester Square, terrified that I was going to get lost and be homeless. I met Joanna Lumley after a show and she said: 'If you are ever famous, do remember me.' At the time I thought: 'I'll never end up on the telly like you.' I haven't met her since.

What do you miss when you're out of London? The craziness of it all.

What are your favourite home comforts? My dog, who is a black Chinese sharpei, my rocking chair and an open fire.

What is your life philosophy? It's not me that's crazy, it's everyone else.

What are your favourite shops? Waterstone's and music shops. Also Selfridges for the convenience of having everything under one roof.

Do you have a favourite pub? Ye Olde White Bear in Hampstead, The Washington in Belsize Park and Steeles on Haverstock Hill are all great. I've only started going out again recently, having just given birth.

Harvey Nicks or Selfridges? Selfridges for shopping, Harvey Nicks for its
Bloody Marys.

How do you get around town? In my Grand Cherokee Jeep.

What are your extravagances? Baby clothes, which I have been buying in abundance. And champagne, which I love.

What would you do if you were Mayor for the day? Give free Jelly Babies to everyone who smiles. Then I'd sort out the traffic.

What were the last books you bought? The Little Friend by Donna Tartt, How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr Seuss and The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint by Brady Udall.

What was the last CD you bought? Foo Fighters' One by One. I spend half my life in HMV.

What perfume do you wear? Yohji by Yohji Yamamoto. Although I usually just wear Nivea.

What was the last play you saw in London and did you enjoy it?
On An Average Day at the Comedy Theatre with Woody Harrelson and Kyle MacLachlan. I was eight-andahalf-months pregnant when I went to see it and the air-conditioning wasn't working. I had to leave halfway through because I thought I was going to give birth. The first half was good, though.

What is in your wardrobe at the moment? Lots of army jackets and baggy jeans, usually vintage Levi's.

Gail's new series on losing weight, Do or Diet, is on BBC1 in March