Stacey Dooley: ‘I'm middle class now. I never used to eat olives’

The broadcaster on her childhood diet of Peperami, Pot Noodle and Pop-Tarts, eating Hobnobs for Strictly – and being useless in the kitchen

In my childhood, it was the three Ps: Pop-Tarts, Peperami, Pot Noodle. That was my diet and I could still eat that as a three-course meal now. It’s a miracle my organs are still working to be honest, I’ve eaten so much of them. Then a blue ice pole for dessert.

I’ve had a lot of interesting conversations over a lot of interesting meals. One was a Thanksgiving dinner in a prison in Iowa with a load of female lifers. They’re in prison for the rest of their lives, they’re going to die there, so they look forward to this for months. It’s a big deal: they were pressing their shirts, everyone looked super-smart and we’re sat there eating lukewarm turkey. I’ve eaten in loads of prisons; it’s a bit like plane food, not bad.