I looked different, and different worked in the 60s, says iconic model Twiggy

TWIGGY has been a household name for decades and while many models have been and gone, she still has a special place in our hearts, just like hedgehogs.

Hedgehogs? Yes, there is a connection because Twiggy is a huge fan of the creatures and never misses a chance to remind us to take care of them.

“I have always loved animals, all sorts of animals,” she said. “The numbers of hedgehogs have dropped in Britain and we need to do something about that.

“They are such wonderful creatures and part of our traditional countryside — and our towns of course.

“During the early spring, it was National Hedgehog Awareness week and I did my best to help put the spotlight on it. I can’t think of Britain without hedgehogs.”

We cannot think of Britain without Twiggy, either. She has been a part of our culture since she first appeared as a skinny waif model back in the 1960s.

Twiggy — or Lesley Hornby to use her real name — was born in Neasden, North London, in September 1949, the youngest of three daughters.

“We were a happy family, not too well off but not poor either, middle class if you like,” she said.

“I did all the usual stuff at school and got a Saturday job at a hairdresser’s. Next thing I knew, I was being photographed as a clothes model. Someone had this crazy idea that I might be suitable.

“It was a dream come true. I was mad about clothes and when it was suggested that I might be a model I couldn’t believe my luck.

“I had thought of becoming a dress designer or something like that. I went to art school to learn design techniques but then the modelling changed everything.

“I was in all the newspapers in Britain, then was asked to model in France, followed by New York. I was just a kid. I suppose I was the first of the supermodels, everyone had been fairly anonymous before me. It was all quite overwhelming, but my family kept my feet on the ground. I still had to help with the washing up.

“I look at pictures of myself in those days and I don’t think I look especially good, I looked more like a young boy than a girl model. I suppose I just looked different and different worked in the 1960s.”

It was all very exciting and it could have all been over in just a few years, but Lesley Hornby was not just a pretty face.

“I wanted to show that I was a real person, not just an image,” she said.

“I had always liked the idea of being an actress and I wondered if I could and realised it was something I really wanted to try.

“I felt the need to do more with my life than just be a face on a photo and I think that drove me to work harder at something else.

“So, when I got the chance for the female lead in The Boyfriend movie for Ken Russell, I was determined to make it work. It was an amazing opportunity.”

Twiggy rolled up her sleeves and took the chance. Of course, there were those who waited for her to fail.

“I knew there would be people who would scoff at the idea of this strange-looking model becoming an actress, but I just had to ignore that and build my own confidence,” she said.

“I had a lot of people around me who were very supportive. That helped a great deal.”

It certainly did. Her critics were quickly silenced when Twiggy went on to star on Broadway and be awarded two Golden Globes.

“It was a fantastic feeling to be accepted as an actress,” she revealed.

“I genuinely did listen to advice and work hard. I launched myself into it and it worked, but I had to keep pinching myself to make sure that it was not all a dream.

“I half expected to wake up and find I was still in the hairdressers’ and daydreaming.

“When you appear on Broadway, everyone comes to visit you after the performance.

“It took me some time to get used to opening my dressing room door and finding Al Pacino, Lauren Bacall and Ginger Rogers and huge stars like them, standing there asking me if they can come in for a chat.

“I actually had these amazing people asking if they could have a photograph with me. It was just not real. I should be asking to have a photo taken with them, but it was the other way about.”

Since then, Twiggy has never stopped working and she is as busy as ever.

“That’s how I like it,” she said. “I was brought up with a willingness to work. I enjoy time off, of course, and going for a walk with my husband Leigh or to a country pub for lunch, but I enjoy my work as well.

“I’m as busy as ever with work for M&S, TV and lots of other things, and I love it that way.

“Age is not important, I don’t think about it, so I am not going to give in to it,” she said.

“I do take care of myself, but don’t talk to me about diets, I have never believed in them. Keep busy, get some exercise and make sure you eat the right things. That’s all you have to do.

“I make sure that there is always fresh fruit available, preferably organic vegetables and food that has not had the goodness beaten out of it.

“I like to keep it simple and encourage others to do the same. Diet regimes often end in disappointment, just put a little effort into food selection and preparation and you will be fine.

“As for the exercise, I have always loved tap dancing. I do other exercise as well but again, nothing over the top. Tap dancing is great as it is fun and anyone can do it. A bit of tap and some decent food really works.”

It is hard to imagine Twiggy is nearer 70 than 60 and she certainly doesn’t look her age.

“You can’t turn the clock back, so age is really not important, it shouldn’t dominate your life,” she said.

“You gain experience as you get older, but that’s a positive thing. I never think about retiring. I wouldn’t know what to do.”

Behind the scenes, Twiggy supports many charities and especially those which benefit animals.

“I am very English and proud of it and I love our country, culture and history and I especially love our wildlife,” she explained.

“I love all sorts of animals from elephants to guinea pigs and we need to do more for them. That applies just as much in Britain as elsewhere.

“We have many beautiful animals, birds, fish and, of course, trees and plants. We need to protect them and safeguard their future.

“Wouldn’t it be awful if we woke up one day and looked around us at the wonderful houses we’d built but could not hear a single bird singing, could not see where a hedgehog or a fox had visited our garden. Life wouldn’t be the same.

“I have been to America many times and I remember that when I first went I was treated like royalty just because I was British, it was totally amazing and really very nice.

“We’re still well thought of around the world and really, we have so much to be proud of.

“British countryside is just beautiful, and while we are modern in some ways, we still have Beefeaters, city bank workers in top hats and tails and many of the old customs.

“We might take these things for granted but others don’t. Let’s not spoil it and take our wildlife for granted, our visitors like to see them too.”