Rosie Huntington-Whiteley used to be a big dieter before she started exercising.

She said: "I tried to diet, and it never really worked out for me. And I was getting bad advice from all over and in the end I picked up exercise, and I started to enjoy that."

The blonde stunner - who has been dating Hollywood action man Jason Statham since 2010 - admitted she finds it tough to turn down work because she wants to make someone of herself rather than settle for marrying a rich man.

Speaking about her response to a young model who asked why she did not yet have a rich husband, she told ELLE UK magazine: "That's never been it for me. I'm an ambitious girl. I love to work, and it makes me feel good.

"I like to make something of my own. It's a huge opportunity, so it's like, 'What can I build from this for when I don't want the limelight anymore?'

"I'm not very good at turning down work. You've got to make hay while the sun shines. Work is a massive priority in my life right now, because I know that, someday, it won't be."

See Rosie's full photo shoot, shot by Kai Z Feng, and interview in the February issue of ELLE (www.elleuk.com/rosie), which is out now.