COVER Katie Piper

Author, TV presenter and charity campaigner Katie Piper tells Yours how facing adversity can have a positive outcome

We’ve all been inspired by the amazing stories of courage, kindness and selflessness over the last few months in the nation’s battle against coronavirus. From health and care workers to supermarket and shop staff, and many more people just going the extra mile to make a difference, every story has been extraordinary.

So it’s fitting that presenter Katie Piper, who herself had to overcome the hardest

‘I feel there’s been a sea-change in the kind of people we admire and appreciate’

of times, has just started a new series of her regular podcast entitled Extraordinary People.

In the series Katie chats with inspirational people who have managed to turn extremely hard times in their lives into powerful positivity.

“Over the past decade I have been inspired by so many extraordinary people who have managed to overcome often unimaginable experiences with such strength,” she explains. “I want to share these inspiring stories with the public to show just how incredible and resilient we humans can be.”

There are few people more incredible or resilient than Katie herself. In 2008, she fell victim to an horrific acid attack, with the sulphuric acid leaving her face severely burned and blind in her left eye. Months of surgery, skin grafts and rehabilitation followed. But instead of hiding herself away, Katie did the opposite. She set up her charity, The Katie Piper Foundation, in 2009 while still in the early stages of recovery and has gone on to forge a career as a writer, broadcaster and inspirational speaker. What gave her the strength to do this?

“Determination and hope,” she replies. “I had the support of my wonderful family and, of course, our wonderful NHS staff who were giving up their time and using their expertise to help me through it. They invested in me which raised my self-esteem and sense of self-worth. It encouraged me to invest in myself. I realised that what I was going through was temporary. There was a way forward and there would be a way out of it.

It wasn’t always easy but I

didn’t lose hope.”

What happened to Katie has influenced the way she sees life.

“No problem is ever bigger than us unless we let it be,” she continues. “Don’t let the problem become bigger than you are. Life can take some unexpected twists and turns – as we know all too well right now – and things happen which we’re unable to control. But it’s how we react to challenges. We may feel the script is already written but you can be your own producer, director and editor as you go along. This is true of so many people I’ve interviewed for my podcast. People like one amazing woman called Tulsi Vagjiani (pictured with Katie, top left) whom I met through my charity. In 1990, when Tulsi was ten years old, her parents and brother were killed in a plane crash. She survived but sustained 45 per cent facial and body burns – very serious, life-changing injuries. Plus she was an orphan. Tulsi now works as a Pilates rehabilitation specialist, life coach and motivational speaker. She has amazing resources of resilience and courage, and is neither bitter nor angry about what happened to her. She’s not consumed by, ‘Why me?’

She truly is extraordinary.”

As are the times we are living through at the moment – although not in a good way. However, Katie feels there are some positives.

“It’s wonderful that the people who keep this country going: key workers such as hospital porters, cleaners, delivery drivers and shelfstackers, as well as the medics, are finally being appreciated for what they do. In the past, jobs such as being a cleaner or shelf stacker may have been looked down on but without them, we wouldn’t be able to survive. They are the backbone of our country

and they’ve been putting their lives at risk – for often very little reward – to help us.

I feel there’s been a seachange in the kind of people we admire and appreciate. I hope this will be reflected in the honours lists. I think the corona pandemic has also changed us all as individuals.”

How so? “We seem kinder and more thoughtful,” Katie muses. “It’s as if we’re going back to the days of my grandparents where everyone knew their neighbours, looked out for each other and were less bothered about material possessions and status. I like that. It’s a nicer, more simple and ultimately satisfying way to live. I’m hoping this won’t change when things start becoming more normal. I say ‘becoming’ because that’s the way it’s going to be. It will happen very gradually and some things will not be the same as they were

‘No problem is ever bigger than us unless we let it be’

before. Personally, I’ll feel very hesitant about social kissing and hugging, for instance, and I’m sure many people will be the same.”

Katie (36) has been self-isolating with husband Richard and their two daughters, Belle (6) and Penelope (2).

“It’s been fine on the whole,” she laughs. “Chaotic but OK. As we live in London, it’s clearly been impossible to visit my parents who live in Hampshire and also other family members who are spread out across the country. But we’ve been Zooming and Facetiming constantly and actually, we’ve never felt more connected.”

■ Katie Piper’s Extraordinary People podcast is available on play.acast.com/s/ katiepiper For our beginners’ guide to podcasts, turn to p49

■ The Katie Piper Foundation – visit

www.katiepiperfoundation.org.uk