My parents always tell me that they never would have let me start if they had known how expensive and difficult figure skating is.

I've always been an A or B student. When I get a B, I freak out a little bit!

When I started not training as hard and doing what I needed to do, everyone else improved without me improving.

I always want to try for what's been offered to me.

As athletes, we want to represent our country to the best of our ability.

If you really put your mind to it, anything is possible.

There are moments when I think I'm not very smart and not very pretty, and skating is the only thing that stands out about me. It's like the love of my life. When you love someone, sometimes you want to break up.

Something that I saw in Sochi that I didn't get the opportunity to have in Vancouver was the team holding hands with arms in the air and medals around their neck.

I'm not a fadeaway type of person; I don't have that type of personality.

If I fall, I'll take the fall and get up and keep going.

I believe in adventure and imagination, and I got that from my parents and the things I experienced as a child.

During finals week, I don't get a lot of sleep, and I tell myself, 'I can't do this anymore.'

I skate six days a week, three sessions a day, and I go to the gym three times a week. I lift weights, do some ab work and whatever my trainer tells me to do. I take Saturdays off.

Japanese people, they're not really one to complain.

Sometimes, it's hard for me to communicate my discomfort because I want to be respectful. At the same time, I've learned that you have to ask people on your team to help you out.

On a normal day, I would wake up at 7:00 A.M. and spend about three to four hours training every day. But all of that depends on my school schedule. School and classes usually run from 8:00-10:40 A.M., but not before I've had a coffee for breakfast.

I get about seven hours of sleep a night.

Pre-competition rituals include nap time, because when competition rolls around, I'm a sloth. I also FaceTime my dogs.

Michelle Kwan was an inspiration for everyone, including me.

Education is more important than skating. I want to keep up with my schoolwork and my skating.

Daisuke Takahashi has really good footwork.

I sometimes think about adult skating and how, you know, people like Midori Ito, she competed at the adult world championships. I feel like I'll probably be someone like that.

I think every brilliant mind is a little bit crazy.

I was always getting in trouble for whispering in class.

Being 16 is such a great age because I'm still really young, and I'll still have a lot of chances. But the Olympics only come every four years, so you don't want to waste an opportunity.

I'm not a comedian, but I do make people laugh. I'm good at it.

Nobody likes Jews. You can't say people like Jews. We're not popular. We're too smart to be liked. But it has been unacceptable to express anti-Semitism since the Holocaust.

Sydney has taken my money, Melbourne has my respect, but Adelaide has taken my heart; I shall return.

I think life is sweeter shared; and if anything were to happen to my partner, I would find it really hard without her because she's the perfect person for my life.

What's the difference between herpes and love? Herpes is forever.

Home is wherever I hang my hat.

Communication is something we all take for granted.

I had a very good kiss from Bob Monkhouse once. I thought, 'If I was straight, I would go for Bob.'

I've been fat my whole life and pretended I don't mind. But I do mind. It's really stupid that I've gone on being greedy and fat.

I was waiting for a train at Waverley Station in Edinburgh. My knee was hurting, so I asked a young man for his seat. He replied, 'There's one over there'. I said, 'Please', and when he refused I poured my water over him.

I still miss my parents every day; I adored them. And when you have no children, friends are even more important to you.

In terms of my development as an artist, playing Professor Sprout wasn't all that important because she is well within my capabilities as an actress. But in terms of marketability, it made an enormous difference.

I've always felt that Donald Trump was a Dickensian character because he is so ridiculous. With his hair and his arrogance, he is certainly Dickensian in his absurdity.

I'm a silly little needy person sometimes, and I crouch in a room all alone and think of all the people that I wish were with me.

I want to explore the range of emotions it is possible to feel.

While researching my ancestry I have unearthed many skeletons. It would seem that I come from a long line of ne'er-do-wells, especially on my mother's side.

With television, attention spans have been shortened. It's something we have to fight against: the dumbing down of the audience. To be part of an audience is a privilege. To be with the people on stage, to let them reach you. If you're doing a million other things, they won't reach you.

I know that a lot of my life is spent thinking about crisps and eating crisps and hating myself for eating crisps. It's just not worth it. Or it wouldn't be if crisps weren't so delicious.

It's so important that people know there was a time before the NHS. It makes them appreciate it more.

I enjoy finding the right word and giving each its full measure, its full space in a sentence.

I wouldn't consider retiring to India: there are too many people, and it's difficult walking along the pavements. I'd love to spend two or three months a year there.

I love political cartoons from the 19th century, and whenever I complete a piece of acting work that I'm particularly proud of, be it a film or play, I treat myself to a picture by caricaturist James Gillray.

The main fear about growing old as an actor is not losing the looks. I never had any to speak of, and what I had I've still got, but losing the memory is another matter.

I used to get into bed with my mother every morning, almost until she died, and talk about everything. She was my closest confidante always. I had no secrets from her.

People tend to think I'm funny and fluffy, but I can switch on a sixpence from extreme happiness to utter despair. I'm aware that doesn't make it easy for people sometimes.