independent.ie– Born in Bristol, the former supermodel shot to fame in 1996 as the face of Gossard Bras. She now lives in Glendalough, Co Wicklow, with her fiancé, Count Kaz Balinski-Jundzill, and their collie/Pomeranian rescue dog. What’s your earliest memory? Watching the penguins in Bristol Zoo with my father when I was about three or four. I remember being utterly fascinated. What keeps you awake at night? Not being able to see my mum, Susan, after she had an operation two months ago. I haven’t seen her since last September. What’s your least — and your most — attractive quality? I have a tendency to spread myself too thin and get really stressed out. My most attractive is my huge capacity to love. What’s the first thing you would do if you were Taoiseach? Address the terrifying rise in homelessness and making public housing an immediate priority. What’s your biggest insecurity? I suffer excruciating shyness when public speaking. Even walking the catwalk, I’m kind of green with nerves. Who would you most like to go for a drink with? Salma Hayek. I’ve always loved her and simply love her no-nonsense approach to growing older gracefully. Which fictional character do you most identify with? I’m getting married for the first time at the end of this month, my passion is fashion so I would say Carrie Bradshaw in Sex In The City. She was around my age in the series when she got married to Big and I absolutely adore Sarah Jessica Parker. What is your most treasured possession? My dishevelled, one-eared teddybear called Bunny that my grandfather gave me when I was eight years old. I’ve travelled the world and it always come with me. What’s your guiltiest pleasure? I do love truffle cheese and I like it with a generous scoop of Nutella. It’s really yummy. It’s worth a try! What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given? It’s advice I actually gave myself in my early 30s and it was ‘Love life and life will love you back’. What you put out there, you attract back tenfold. When did you last cry? I cried a week ago because I miss my stepfather so much, especially at this time because I’m getting married and I just wish he could be here to walk me down the aisle on my big day. I lost both my stepfather, and my father, to Parkinson’s. We are not doing wedding presents, we are having donations which will be split between Parkinson’s UK and ARC Cancer Support Centres. Do you believe in a god? I believe in a higher power and I do believe there’s something great in all of us. What advice would you give your 18-year-old self? Slow down and take it all in. What’s the last TV show you binge-watched? Sons of Anarchy. If you could have a super power, what would it be? The ability to heal people and the environment we live in. How would you like to be remembered? I’d like to be remembered as a person who believes that if you can make just one person feel special and smile every day, then you will have accomplished something. It’s one rule I live by. It doesn’t cost you anything and if more people did it, the world would be a better place. What’s your most embarrassing moment? Skidding on a slippy catwalk at a Myla lingerie show wearing a bra, thong and sky-high heels. It definitely wasn’t my most elegant catwalk moment ever. What got you through lockdown? Working at home with Kaz who is a very talented photographer and because we are so close, I think I really discovered my true self as a model.
Sophie is an ambassador for ARC Cancer Support Centres and her Helen Cody wedding dress will be auctioned for the charity
