How did you get into modelling?
I was shopping in Watford and got spotted by a photographer. I was only 14 at the time.

Modelling highlights?

Winning Miss England and appearing on the covers of Asiana!

How has your life changed since winning Miss England?

In my first month alone I did 300 interviews! The whole controversy surrounding me being a Muslim meant I was getting calls from all over the world. By the time I got to Miss World, every other contestant had read about me, which was pretty mindblowing. But generally, I prefer the spotlight of the photographer to the limelight.  

Did the uproar overshadow your victory?

I never got the easy questions like ‘what is your favourite colour,’ – it  was always political. Luckily, I studied politics and current affairs, so I got to show I wasn’t just another dumb winner. 

Do you like being referred to as a Muslim model?

A lot of clients know that there are certain shoots I won’t do. I’ve turned down ridiculously high offers from FHM and Maxim and Zoo. My morals are more important to me than money. In the Raghav video I’m in, there was a kissing scene that the director rewrote to accommodate me. It’s good to know you can get people to respect your limits in this industry. 

Model stereotype that frustrates you the most?

That we don’t eat! Everyone watches what I put on my plate and it can be unnerving! 

How do you keep in shape?

Belly dancing. It gives your whole mid section a fabulous workout.

We hear Bollywood beckons?

I have dabbled in it, but I only want to be an actor if I think I’m good at it. I do charity work, work with the UN and regularly meet up with the Prime Minister, so it’s important to me that I’m taken seriously rather than as just another pretty face.