‘There’s nothing special about me… Bravery is in every one of us,’ says TV presenter Katie Piper

SHE is seen as an inspiration to millions, a shining beacon of how to face up to adversity.

In Katie Piper’s case it was, in every sense, facing the world.

Former model Katie, 32, was the victim of a vicious acid attack in March, 2008. Her face was horrendously scarred in the assault, which was organised by her jealous ex-boyfriend.

But Katie has become a tireless charity campaigner, a happily married mum and also forged a successful career as a TV presenter.

Now she has a new book Confidence: The Secret, which she hopes will help others to make 2017 a year to remember for all the right reasons.

As she sits down to chat to iN10, though, Katie insists she’s not always as super-poised, polished and in charge as she seems.

“I am really confident in my professional life but not so confident in my social relationships and my personal life,” she says.

“I could go into a stadium and give a speech to thousands of people and, although I’d have a few nerves, I’d quite enjoy it.

“But if I had to go for an intimate coffee morning with seven mums I’d be so nervous and shy.

“Confidence is something everybody has but nobody is confident and positive all of the time.

“While I’m a big believer in the power of positive thinking, sometimes just being positive doesn’t cut it.”

The book looks at different characteristics of confidence, each with expert analysis from a psychologist and personal tales from Katie.

There are also interviews with burns survivors and others Katie has met who have faced adversity.

“Don’t look at other people and wish you had what they have.

“People go on about my story and it being brave, but there’s nothing special about me. It’s in every one of us.

“It’s like a muscle. If you go to the gym, some people’s muscles show more.

“You need to learn how to work your confidence and draw on it.”

She might insist she’s nothing special and her tale isn’t particularly brave, but just a few minutes in Katie’s company convinces you otherwise. That’s if you hadn’t already been left in awe through her numerous Channel 4 series.

When the conversation turns to her injuries, the matter-of-fact manner with which she reels off a catalogue of medical procedures leaves you humbled.

“I stopped counting my surgeries about five years ago when it got to 300.

“I had more than 100 operations just last year, and I was in hospital with a tear in my oesophagus.”

Surgeons battled to clear scar tissue in her throat which was constantly closing. She was in every week for operations to try and keep the plastic stenting from becoming embedded round the tissue.

“We did that for a year and in the end they had to go through the stomach and up to the throat,” she explains.

“It wasn’t supposed to happen, but it was a nightmare. I spent the whole year drinking medical milkshakes instead of eating.”

Although nine years have passed since Katie’s attack, she admits it’s something she can never forget.

“It’s worse when people keep bringing it up and reminding me,” she says quietly.

“I try to move on, but I’m still having surgery so I have to be a realist.

“I can’t pretend it didn’t happen because those injuries are forever, as are most of the treatments. And I have PTSD, so it is on-going.”

In 2009 she set up the Katie Piper Foundation, aimed at raising awareness of victims of burns and other disfigurement injuries.

It has helped enormously over the years, with workshops, mentoring and paying for treatments not available on the NHS.

Fundraising is underway for a new rehabilitation centre due to open in Liverpool this year.

She says she gets as much from meeting people helped by the Foundation, and through her TV programmes, as they do from her.

“I never cry, because it’s a professional environment.

“But I do feel sadness or anger or immense pride when they’ve overcome something.

“They just blow me away. They’re doing amazing things all the time and getting on with life. It puts it into perspective.

“It just keeps reinforcing for me why it’s so important that we keep campaigning and raising the awareness of disfigurement.

“And trying to normalise it and make it less of a taboo in society.”

Katie: My Beautiful Face was the groundbreaking documentary that really brought Katie to the attention of millions. An Alternative Christmas Message and numerous other series, including Bodyshockers, have followed.

She’s just signed a new two-year deal with Channel 4.

“They’ve treated me so well. I’ve been able to make programmes I’m passionate about and not keep me in that groundhog day of just talking about burns and scars.

“I can’t think of a channel more suitable, because they are so edgy.

“And they aren’t fearful of being controversial, so it’s a perfect home for me.”

Katie is endearingly self-effacing about her burgeoning telly career.

“Sometimes I watch the programmes and think: ‘Oh, was that a bit rubbish’,” she laughs.

“I lack self-belief and I’ve got to control the gremlins in my head that are too critical.

“I think even I would find the book helpful to remind myself you can be your own worst enemy.”

Katie has been through the toughest of times, but there have been many happy moments, too.

She married partner Richard Sutton in 2015 and they’re doting parents to daughter Belle, who turns three in March.

“She’s growing up fast,” confides Katie. “I think my favourite stage is now, because she can talk and she’s giving back.

“She’ll hug and kiss you and ask you questions, so you have a proper conversation.

“But she also strong-minded and headstrong and that can make for a bit of a tantrum sometimes.”

So, might there be more children?

“Oh, I don’t know. We’re so blessed to have a child, and we feel so lucky she’s got no health problems.

“I meet so many people through the Foundation whose children have been injured in house fires and car accidents. We’ll see what happens.”

With a fresh year stretching ahead, Katie reckons there’s positivity to be taken by us all – if we want it.

“It’d be untrue to say I’m always happy, always positive. I’m not.

“That’s not real life. There are moments in life we can’t control but we can always control how we deal with them.

“Life is 10% what happens and 90% what we do with it afterwards.

“Things like bereavements are awful. It’s natural to be sad or depressed, but we can choose to pick ourselves up and live our life the way that person would have wanted us to.

“It’s all about who you want to be in the driving seat of your life.

“Do you want it to be you or do you want it to be other people who place limitations on you?

“I chose to be in the driving seat of my life and it’s never been better since that decision.”

Confidence: The Secret by Katie Piper is out now £12.99 Quercus.