The 5-minute Interview: Betty Jackson, fashion designer

Betty Jackson, CBE, 58, is one of Britain's most respected designers. She recently designed a limited edition ironing board cover for Rowenta (www.rowenta.co.uk)

If I weren't talking to you right now I'd be ...

Probably choosing colours for my next collection.

A phrase I use too often ...

"Hideously good" or "hideously bad".

I'm good at ...

Scrabble and table tennis.

I'm very bad at ...

Sewing. Luckily I have people who can do it.

I wish people would take more notice of ...

Plastic bags. There really are far too many around. .

The most surprising thing to happen to me was ...

Falling in love.

A common misperception of me is ...

That I'm nice.

I am not a politician but ...

It would be the worst thing. I don't know how they can sleep at night.

You know me as a fashion designer but in a truer life I'd have been ...

A sculptor. And I'd come back as a man. Things are much easier for men.

In a nutshell, my philosophy is this ...

Love what you do.

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