Inside a west London studio, Patsy Kensit is ready for her close-up. As she effortlessly throws a series of beautiful poses at this exclusive magazine shoot, the fragile beauty which has helped make her famous is very much in evidence.
But, as the 56-year-old chats to HELLO! in this honest and emotional interview, it's immediately clear there is nothing fragile about her personality. Steely determination has seen her weather many storms, including a recent business disaster which saw her lose all her money and her home.
Now single and eager to enjoy life as an empty nester, she wants to seize any new adventures that come her way. "Right now, I feel content," Patsy tells us.
"I think people mistake my politeness as weakness but I am a trooper and very strong. There's been this portrayal of me that I'm delicate and always in tears but that's not me. I am tougher than I look. This is me at 56 and I think that's an empowering thing."
That wisdom helped her get through a serious financial problem three years ago when a skincare company she was going into business with collapsed overnight, leaving her with nothing and forcing her to sell her home; she is now living in a rental property.
"It all fell through, and I lost everything," she recalls. "There was financial backing and then the CEO had a stroke. I have always owned houses but I had to sell my home and totally start again. It was brutal, particularly because I have worked so hard and then suddenly I was like: 'Who am I?'"
But, in true Patsy style, she rolled up her sleeves and got on with it.
"Hiding under the duvet is something I can't do. Really cruel, nasty things have been written about me over the years and there have been situations that were really unpleasant and I had to carry on. What kind of mother am I if I just wallow in self pity? I had to get up and carry on."
And she is also keen to dispel the myth that she doesn't need to work, given the status of her former husbands. "I had to have a job because people assume I have all this money because of past marriages and that's just not the case. I need to make a living."
Is she enjoying being single? "God, yeah!", Patsy, who has been married four times, says. "I can pretty much do what I want. I have learned so much about myself in the last few years."
And now her children have left home – James, from her marriage to Simple Minds' Jim Kerr lives a private life as a cameraman, while Lennon, whose father is Liam Gallagher, is a musician and model – she is keen to fill 'the hole in my soul' by staying single and accepting new work.
"I wouldn't want a relationship, I am not interested. I do believe in love," she says. "But for me it's not something I need … I have been on my own a long time and I like my own company. Now, it's just adjusting my life to fill the hole that's in my soul. It's hard to have an empty nest. I have to reprogram myself – I am not drinking, I don't want to stay out and go wild but I need to find something to fulfil me."
To read the full exclusive interview, pick up the latest issue of HELLO! on sale in the UK on Monday. You can subscribe to HELLO! to get the magazine delivered free to your door every week or purchase the digital edition online via our Apple or Google apps.
