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Former model Katie Piper has rebuilt her life after suffering horrific facial injuries following an acid attack. She tells Gabrielle Fagan of her joy in motherhood and marriage.

Eight years ago she was overwhelmed by feelings of anger, pain, and bitterness about an attack that disfigured her, but now Katie Piper is determined to only look forward.

"For the first couple of years I had feelings of anger, but not any more because I don't think you can live your life filled with resentment. I've come to an acceptance of what happened and that's helped set me free," reveals the courageous 32-year-old, whose life changed in March 2008 when her ex-boyfriend arranged for a hitman to hurl sulphuric acid in her face. The two men are serving life sentences and Piper, who was blinded in one eye, has endured more than 40 operations and her treatment is ongoing.

"My dad wrote me a card in the early stages of my recovery which said, 'you have to appreciate all the dark times as it's the only time you can look up and see the stars'. That was so inspiring and eventually helped me realise going through bad times allows you to compare and know when you're enjoying true happiness."

She's certainly enjoying that now. Piper, who's steadfastly refused to be defined by her burns, has built a career as an author and TV presenter, and last November married her boyfriend of five years, carpenter Richard Sutton, father of her two-year-old daughter Belle.

"At one stage, I didn't know whether I'd ever be privileged enough to have the sort of happiness I have now with Richard and our daughter," she says.

"Last year was so exciting. The unexpected things in life are the ones you treasure most. Falling in love, having Belle and our wedding are right up there. I believe you can get happiness in so many different ways. I think you're most happy when you don't depend on other people for fulfilment and contentment. I was happy when I was single, but being with Richie and getting married and having Belle is a marvellous bonus."

"Richard is my best friend. It's wonderful to have that amazing person who knows me so well, by my side, supporting me. He's not particularly focused on appearance, but then, it's a misconception that most men are.

"I think they're programmed to look at women as a whole and simply think: 'Do I find her attractive or not?' It's women who pick other women apart and focus on the finer detail."

While she's been a source of inspiration for many people across the world - and in 2009 gave up her anonymity to reveal her own struggle in a Channel 4 documentary, Katie: My Beautiful Face - she's also suffered over the years from cruel comments about her appearance on social media.

"I describe it as being your own kind of beautiful and recognising beauty truly isn't confined to those who are tall and slim," she says. That philosophy is at the heart of talks she'll give at the Ideal Home Show in Manchester (until tomorrow), in her role as fashion and beauty ambassador.

"Everyone's beautiful for different reasons and each of us have attractive qualities inside, maybe being a good friend, work colleague, partner, a whole host of things which makes us special.

"Of course, the unpleasant online comments I get sometimes are insulting, but worse has happened to me, although it's certainly not very nice to be called a 'monster' or a 'freak' when you go online.

"I believe they say more about the person making them than about the people receiving them. People act online in a way they'd never do in real life."

She admits her hard-won confidence wavers on occasions such as public appearances.

"It's hard to be consistently confident, especially if you're surrounded by good-looking women, but there's a saying: 'If the world was blind, how many people would you impress?' It puts into perspective our huge and often unhealthy obsession with appearance," declares Piper.

Although the former model avoids looking at photographs of herself from before the attack, she is "a massive believer in living in the present and aiming for the future".

"I don't properly remember my old face and although I still have childhood photos, I don't have any other photos I want to look back to," says Piper, whose charitable organisation, the Katie Piper Foundation, raises awareness of the plight of victims of burns and other disfigurement injuries.

"I compare what happened to me with bereavement. If you lose someone, you grieve, learn to live with that loss and move forward, and that's what I've had to do with my appearance. I'm glad I didn't hide away, even though it was hard because disfigurement, especially facial, can be isolating, as you can feel so rejected by society.

"I don't feel in any way special. There are many people out there who have inspirational stories, but they've just not been made public like mine, and as for being brave, well, sometimes it isn't a choice, it's literally the only thing you've got left."

Piper, who's presented Channel 4 shows Bodyshockers and Never Seen a Doctor, is sanguine about having to face her daughter's future questions about what happened to her.

"Belle's a lovely, lively, curious toddler and she's gradually becoming aware of my physical differences. I think her awareness will just grow and she'll learn about things over time rather than my having to sit her down and talk about it, which would make it into more of a big issue," she says philosophically.

"I have surgical stents in my nostrils, necessary to keep them open, and she thinks it's a huge joke to pull them out and run off with them. If I look in the mirror and think how my daughter sees me, I believe it's as someone who cares and provides for her and loves her unconditionally. I don't believe Belle sees me as someone with a strange nose and bad skin."

While she hopes for more children, problems following an operation last year meant the couple put plans on hold.

"I'm resigned to the fact that I have a permanent injury which will mean ongoing treatment for the foreseeable future. Skin and tissue on my face continually tightens, making it difficult to breathe, blink and swallow, so it's necessary to have skin constantly added," she explains.

"I was unlucky last year as a problem with an operation on my oesophagus resulted in my being unable to eat. My weight fell so low it wouldn't have been a good idea to get pregnant. Richie and I talked about adoption and we may look into that. If we did adopt, I'd adopt any child, but if it was a child with scars or burns, I'd definitely understand their journey. For the moment, we regard Belle as a blessing, who certainly keeps us fully occupied, so we'll just see what happens."

Belfast Telegraph

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Katie Piper: 'True beauty is not confined to those who are tall and slim' - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

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Former model Katie Piper has rebuilt her life after suffering horrific facial injuries following an acid attack. She tells Gabrielle Fagan of her joy in motherhood and marriage. Eight years ago she was overwhelmed by feelings of anger, pain, and bitterness about an attack that disfigured her, but now Katie Piper is determined to only look forward.

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In 2008, Katie Piper was raped by a man she’d met online. He then arranged for someone to throw acid in her face. Kira Cochrane talks to Katie and her mum, Diane, about her inspiring recovery

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KATIE Piper is the inspirational survivor of an acid attack that left her scarred for life and blind in one eye.

The popular presenter is now taking part in new Channel 4 show Famous and Fighting Crime. Here's everything you need to know.

Who is Katie Piper?

Katie was born in October 1983 to parents David and Diane and lived in Andover, Hampshire, where she trained as a beautician after leaving school.

Shortly afterwards, she began modelling, taking part in various shoots for national newspapers and was runner-up of the 2006 Miss Winchester beauty pageant.

Eventually, she moved to London and also got work as a presenter on several digital TV programmes.

However, in March 2008, she fell victim to an acid attack, with the sulphuric acid leaving her face severely burned.

But she hasn't let the attack define her, and has since gone on to become a published author and a TV presenter.

How was Katie Piper attacked?

In February 2008, Katie started a relationship with Daniel Lynch after the pair began messaging on Facebook.

But just two weeks into their romance, Katie started having doubts and he later attacked her in a London hotel room.

Katie then went back to her flat in Golders Green and two days later, Lynch demanded she go to a nearby internet cafe.

However, it was a trap and Lynch had arranged for accomplice Stefan Sylvestre to wait outside her flat and throw sulphuric acid into her face.

Katie was rushed to the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for emergency treatment as the acid had severely burned her face and blinded her in her left eye.

She was put in an induced coma for 12 days and had to undergo skin graft procedures.

She also had to wear a plastic face mask for up to 23 hours a day and in total has had 40 operations to treat her burns.

Just a year after the attack, the model then launched the Katie Piper Foundation to campaign for more specialist help for burns victims.

What happened to Katie Piper's attackers?

The attack was caught on CCTV and shortly after Sylvestre, who threw the acid at Katie, was arrested.

Later Lynch was arrested and the pair were both handed life sentences.

In 2015, Sylvestre went up for parole but his plea to be released from jail was dismissed.

In 2018, his plea to the parole board received a positive response.

The parole board explained: "He displayed sympathy for the victim and expressed remorse."

Sylvestre was released on Wednesday, October 10, 2018.

Katie had been given extra security by Strictly bosses ahead of his release, and has been spotted with a bodyguard during coffee breaks.

In November 2018 it was revealed her ex Lynch had been awarded nearly £200,000 of taxpayer's cash in legal aid.

What happened to Katie on Strictly?
Katie was announced as the first official contestant on Strictly Come Dancing 2018.
She was paired with Gorka Marquez and became the third couple to leave the show.

The couple went head to head on movie week with Casualty actor Charles Venn and his partner Karen Clifton.

Katie and Gorka performed their jive to Why Do Fools Fall In Love by Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers.

What is Katie Piper doing now?

In May 2018 Katie filmed Famous and Fighting Crime for Channel 4.

The show airs on February 11, 2019, at 9pm and continues on Mondays for four episodes.

Katie tweeted: "A big thank u goes to

"Witnessing first hand how hard they all work and often how dangerous and difficult their jobs are.

"Huge respect to you guys it was a privilege to spend time with you all on the force!"

Katie is also seen on programmes such as This Morning and Loose Women.

She also presented the Channel 4 show Bodyshockers and Never Seen a Doctor.

In April 2017, the inspirational star launched her own Channel 4 show called Face to Face, where she met a host of other skin condition sufferers.

And in spring 2018, she toured the country with her theatre show What's In My Head to share her inspirational story.

She has written many books including Beautiful, Beautiful Ever After, Confidence, Things Get Better and From Mother to Daughter.

Who are her husband and family?

Katie Piper gave birth to her first child, Belle Elizabeth, in March 2014, and in December that year announced her engagement to Richard James Sutton.

She married the carpenter and builder in November 2015.

Two years later, she announced that she was pregnant again, and gave birth to the couple's second daughter, Penelope, in December 2017.

Katie aims to be open and honest with her daughters and tells her eldest the truth about her attack.

She told the Sunday People's Love Sunday magazine: "She mainly asks about my hands.

"I just tell her I was burnt when I was younger, it did hurt, but it doesn't now.

"All she really says is, 'Be careful of your other hand' when I'm near the oven. But if she asks how I was burnt, I'll tell her the truth."

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What happened to Katie Piper, who is the Strictly Come Dancing 2018 star's husband and how did she survive her acid attack?

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KATIE Piper is the inspirational survivor of an acid attack that left her scarred for life and blind in one eye. The popular presenter is now taking part in new Channel 4 show Famous and Fighting Crime. Here's everything you need to know.

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It was just a normal mirror but as I reached for it, my hand trembled. 'Take your time, Katie,' my psychologist Lisa said gently. 'Look at your chest first, then work your way up slowly.'

But I didn't do things by halves. I mean, how different could my face be? It might be red and scarred, but it would still look like me, right?

Taking a deep breath, I held it up to my face. That little mirror was a window into hell.

My skin was red raw. My eyelids were puffy and underneath, my eyeballs protruded like cartoonish globes.

My left eyeball looked milky and opaque. My lips were swollen like sausages and my eyelashes and eyebrows gone.

My nose was a shrivelled mound. My cheeks had sunk into my skull. My face had melted into my neck like candle wax.

I wasn't a model and TV presenter any longer. How could I be, looking like that? 'No,' I whimpered, my chest heaving with sobs. No tears came: my ravaged eyes couldn't even cry.

'What have you done to me?' I wailed inside. 'Where's my face? Get it out of the bin and give it to me right now. I'll fix it myself.'

'It's early days, love,' Dad said soothingly. 'You won't look like this for ever,' Lisa added. But all I could hear was the thump of my heart and the whoosh of blood in my head; their voices sounded far away.

Even though I sat there in silence, in my mind I screamed for my beautiful, stolen face - gone for ever.

Born in Hampshire in 1983, I had an idyllic childhood. My father David owned a barber shop and my mother Diane was a teacher.They doted on my brother Paul, sister Suzy, and me.

As a youngster I was independent and fearless. I never suspected there was any badness in the world. 'You can be anything you want to be,' Dad used to tell me.

In adolescence my face lost its childhood chubbiness and I started blossoming. 'I'm quite pretty,' I thought in delight.

I decided to take a course in hair and beauty therapy at college, then got a job in a salon in Basingstoke.

People were always telling me I should be a model and when I was 22 I paid for a photographer to take some shots of me and began to get modelling work for magazines and catalogues.

In 2006, I landed a presenting job on a satellite TV channel and moved to London. Other presenting jobs followed and I appeared as an extra on The Bill, East-Enders and Ashes To Ashes.

I was getting lots of male attention but always from the same kind of guy: sleazy types who wanted a trophy girlfriend. My looks seemed to attract the wrong kind of men.

I shared a house in Golders Green, North London, with other models and TV people. My flatmates and I would trawl the internet for work and upload pictures on to Facebook.

One night in February 2008, I saw that I had been contacted by a guy called Danny Lynch.

His profile picture showed a good-looking, mixed-race guy. I didn't recognise him but we had 30 mutual friends on Facebook - people I'd met through my promotional work at various sports events.

Had I met him at one of those? His message explained that he was into martial arts and that he was a grappling champion.

Perhaps a sportsman like him had more substance than the flashy guys I normally met? I typed a reply and, over the next few weeks, we sent each other messages. Danny asked about my job and showered me with compliments. I was flattered and we arranged to meet at an event I was working at.

After the show, we chatted. He was smartly dressed, good-looking and seemed down-to-earth. We agreed we'd talk more on Facebook and began chatting every day. We really clicked.

As well as being a martial arts expert, Danny, who was 28, said he was studying computing and owned properties in Kent and Manchester. I was impressed.

When he asked if I would go on a date with him, I agreed and suggested the Comedy Club in London's Leicester Square.

At the interval, I went to the bathroom. Danny insisted on escorting me. It seemed chivalrous and old-fashioned.

During our first week together, we went out for lunch, wandered arm-in-arm around the shops, and shared a Chinese takeaway at my place.

He sent me a never-ending stream of texts and Facebook messages and phoned me constantly. It was overwhelming but I liked him a lot.

I felt as if I was being burned alive. I thought it was impossible to feel this kind of agony and survive...

Danny told me his father had been a famous wrestler but his parents had broken up and he'd had a difficult childhood. He said that his best friend had died recently in an accident.

'You poor thing,' I said, throwing my arms round him. I wanted to look after him, and take away his hurt.

One day, as I picked him up in my car, he handed me a little teddy bear and a red rose. To my surprise, he told me he loved me.

'Thanks,' I giggled, trying to defuse an awkward situation. It seemed a bit full-on, and I was also starting to wonder how much of what he'd told me was true.

There were no grappling trophies or computer books in his bedroom, and he seemed to have a lot of free time, as if he was just sitting at home on his computer all day. Had he exaggerated to impress me?

During the second week of our romance, my doubts grew.

Out shopping one afternoon, we stopped to buy some doughnuts. 'I'll have a chocolate one, please,' I smiled to the old guy behind the counter. 'Here you go, darling,' he said, handing me the bag.

Danny erupted, livid that somebody had called me 'darling'. Mortified, I apologised.

'What was that about?' I demanded of Danny. Just as quickly, he flicked back to his normal self and apologised.

I was starting to feel smothered by the emails and phone calls: when I came home from work one day, I found he had sent me 37 messages in a few hours.

'He's getting a bit stalkerish,' one of my flatmates said.

Not long afterwards, shopping in West London, Danny spotted some trainers he liked and decided he was going to buy us matching pairs. The shop assistant brought two pairs out but when Danny spotted a tiny scuff on one of them, he flipped.

He started hurling all kinds of abuse at the assistant then stormed out.

Following him, I asked him what was up. His face contorted with anger, he told me to drop it.

We made our way to the barber's, where he'd made an appointment to get his hair cut. The barber told him he just had to finish another client first. For the second time in 30 minutes, Danny exploded. He started screaming, furious he was being made to wait, before stomping out.

As we wandered to a pub afterwards, I decided to stop seeing him. After all, we had been dating for only two weeks. His behaviour had been terrible and I realised I'd made too many allowances for him. I'd spend the rest of today with him as planned, then that would be it.

He suggested we get a hotel in town for the night. It meant I could have a drink over dinner as I wouldn't have to drive afterwards and it would be handy for my hairdressing appointment the next morning.

Danny seemed to be back to normal and I persuaded myself everything would be fine.

We had a nice evening in a restaurant but in the hotel lift Danny looked at our reflection in the mirror-and snarled: 'You're not even all that in the flesh, are you?'

I was shocked and looked away. In our room, despite what he'd said, Danny assumed he could still get intimate with me. I made it clear that I didn't want to sleep with him.

His face flushed red with anger and he started accusing me of not wanting to be with him any more. He launched into a tirade of abuse. With his lips curled in a snarl he looked like a wild animal.

I panicked, searching my mind for a way to calm him. But I couldn't think quickly enough. Danny's ego was dented and he was in a rage - with all his body weight he pushed me and I hit the door.

The back of my head cracked against the fire exit sign and everything faded to black as I slumped to the floor.

He launched into a tirade of abuse. With his lips curled in a snarl he looked like a wild animal

'What's that noise?' I thought, woozily. I could hear an angry voice shouting but it seemed far away.

My eyes flickered open and I stared, disorientated. Danny was looming over me. The man who was meant to be my boyfriend had attacked me.

I reached for the back of my head and felt blood pulsing from it. 'I need to get to hospital,' I sobbed hysterically but Danny simply ordered me to stop crying.

Before I knew it I was being forced on to the bed. Instinct told me what was coming next. Danny was going to rape me. I started weeping. 'Please, no, not that,' I begged.

Danny ignored me and held me down, while screams tore my throat. I sobbed inside, unable to get my words out.

It seemed to go on and on, like some nightmare I couldn't wake up from. Screaming made no difference and I couldn't move.

Then I thought: 'What if Danny doesn't just let me go afterwards? What if he murders me?' Someone would find me dead, naked and covered in blood. They would know I died humiliated and terrified.

Danny was suddenly still. Paralysed by fear, I just lay there and he moved away from me. I tried to stand up but I flopped back down again. Eventually, I managed to stagger to the bathroom.

Then the door burst open and Danny started swearing at me. He threatened to kill me and my family if I told anybody about what had happened.

Grabbing a disposable razor, he held it in front of my face. I froze. He had already stripped me of my dignity and broken my body. But I could hide that. If he mutilated my face, I would see his evil handiwork every time I looked in the mirror.

Bracing myself, I said a silent prayer: 'Please, not my face.'

He turned away, slapped the blade on the sink and walked away. I flushed the razor down the lavatory and Danny reappeared. He asked me where my belt was.

Pulling it from my jeans, he hooked it around the arm of the hinge at the top of the door. It dangled like a noose, and realisation hit me like a punch.

Petrified, I watched as he placed a chair under the belt. He ordered me on to the chair. I knew if I was ever going to get out of the room alive, I had to talk him out of it.

'You don't have to do this, Danny,' I blurted. 'I won't tell the police, I promise.' He had threatened to hurt me, my family and my friends if I did. I knew he was capable of it.

'The chambermaids will be here soon,' I said. Trying to sound reasonable, I did my best to convince him he wouldn't want to face them, given the state of the room.

I think he realised he couldn't keep me in the room for much longer without someone discovering us and he decided we should leave.

On autopilot, I showered and dressed. I attempted to wipe the blood from the bathroom walls and floor. Then I held my breath as Danny opened the door and we walked out of the hotel to my car. I didn't even consider trying to run, I was so frightened.

It must have been early morning and Danny announced he had to attend a parole meeting that day, and I was going with him.

He had never mentioned being in any trouble with the law. What had he done?

At the parole office, Danny told me not to say a word. I nodded dumbly and sat down in the reception area while he went to see his probation officer.

Back in the car, I somehow found the words to persuade Danny to take me home. Realising he had smashed my phone in the hotel, he went to buy another mobile so he could contact me.

Then he gestured for me to get out of the car and we walked to my flat. Danny told me he would get me if I breathed a word to anybody.

I slipped my key into the front door, then, heart hammering, ran up the communal stairs three at a time, and into my flat. My flatmates were sitting there, chatting. 'Danny attacked me,' I blurted out. 'My head's still bleeding. Can you take me to hospital?'

Terrified Danny would be waiting outside, I looked out of the window. There he was, marching up and down the street and shouting in to his mobile. The mobile he had given me started to ring. I knew if I didn't answer it, he would kick the door in.

Danny started screaming down the line at me, asking whether I had told my flatmates. 'No, Danny, of course I haven't. Please go home,' I replied.

Eventually, I managed to end the conversation. My flatmates and I left by the back door and fled to my car. I started weeping and confessed that Danny had raped me too. 'You have to tell the police,' one of my friends said.

'No way! He said if I report him he'll kill me, or hurt my family.'

At A&E, I didn't even consider telling the truth. Patched up and back at home, Danny rang practically every ten minutes, demanding to know what I was doing, if I'd told anyone, whether or not I hated him.

'I don't hate you. I haven't told anyone,' I lied. 'Please, just give me some space.' I decided I would keep placating him until I went into the Candy Crib house on Monday evening.

Candy Crib was a new reality show in which models lived together in a secret location and were voted off each week. I'd be safe there.

The next day, I stayed in the flat. Danny didn't give me a minute's peace. He wanted to know my every move.

In one call, he told me he had a present for me. What the hell was he planning to do? Was he going to try to hurt me again?

After another sleepless night, I dragged myself out of bed on Monday. Danny kept calling. Was I going anywhere else before I headed off to Candy Crib?

He threatened to come to Golders Green if I didn't tell him. He said he'd sent me an email that explained everything and insisted I read it.

'My internet connection's down,' I told him. It was true. He suggested I go to the local coffee shop where they had internet access. If it would get him off my back, then maybe it was worth it.

Danny ordered me to get ready and then call him back. I put some clothes on and shoved my purse into my handbag.

I told Danny I was leaving. He wanted me to tell him my every movement. Going along with his sick games seemed to work, so I played along. He asked if I was on the street yet. 'Yes,' I sighed.

That's when I spotted a young guy in a hoodie crossing the road and coming towards me, with his arms outstretched and a coffee cup clasped between his two hands. He looked like a drug addict or a beggar.

I felt sorry for him. I rested my mobile in the crook of my neck and reached into my bag to give him some money.

Splash. He chucked the contents of the cup over my face. For a moment, I didn't understand what had happened. And then the pain hit me - an explosion of agony, unlike anything I had ever experienced before.

It spread through my body like fire.

I could feel my face burning, so hot I thought it was going to burst into flames.

I heard a horrible screaming sound, like an animal being slaughtered. Then I realised it was coming from me.

This was the 'present' Danny was talking about. And he was still on the phone, listening to my screams.

I felt as if I was being burned alive, that I was melting like a candle. I thought I must be dying; it was impossible to feel this kind of agony and survive.

I staggered across the road to a cafe. 'Please help me,' I screamed, lurching behind the counter where I thought there would be a sink.

The customers froze, coffee cups in their hands. I started trying desperately to rinse my face in an ice bucket but it was too shallow.

Still shrieking, I lurched into the ladies, and stuck my head into the loo. I flushed and flushed, but the trickle of water didn't do a thing. Why wouldn't the pain stop?

I blundered back into the cafe.

Everyone seemed to be running around in a panic. Someone sat me in a chair and started spraying my face with water. The acid ran down my neck, on to my chest and legs, and I felt my clothes sizzling as it ate away at the fabric, and then the skin underneath.

I remembered my flatmate Marty was the second to last person I'd rung. Somehow I called him, and found the strength to shout: 'Marty, I've been attacked! Come to Mocha.' Seconds later he raced in and rang 999.

For the next hour I sat in that seat, as still as I could, while the ambulance weaved its way through rush-hour traffic.

By now I couldn't see a thing and all noises sounded muffled, as though I was under water. I faded in and out of consciousness as the paramedics waited for the green light from police before they could treat me. Apparently, they had to make sure my attacker wasn't still nearby.

The next thing I knew, I was being zipped inside something and wheeled into an ambulance. 'I must be dead,' I thought in relief. 'This must be a body bag, and those voices I hear are other dead people.'

Then everything went black.

I came to the following morning, pumped full of morphine, in a specialist burns unit at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. I heard Mum and Dad. I assumed they were dead, too. 'I wonder how they died,' I thought. 'What an unlucky family we are.'

By now my head had swollen to the size of a football. Tests showed that the acid had been neat, industrial-strength sulphuric acid.

I was under heavy sedation. The next morning, still fuzzy with medication, I heard Mum and Dad's voices again, trying to reassure me, but I couldn't speak and my eyes were welded shut.

Someone handed me a clipboard and pen, and I scribbled messages. 'Help me. I can't breathe. Am I dead? Am I blind? I'm sorry, I love you. Please don't cry.'

When they had done their best to answer my questions, Mum asked if Danny had done this to me.

Someone handed me a clipboard and pen, and I scribbled messages. 'Help me. I can't breathe. Am I dead? Am I blind? I'm sorry, I love you. Please don't cry.'

I wrote that he'd raped me and threatened to kill me. I thought he was going to break into the hospital and kill me. As far as I was concerned, I was better off dead. I scribbled another message: 'Kill me.'

The next day, I started to catch flashes of the real world as my vision came back: my sister Suzy, Mum and Dad, and an Asian man with warm brown eyes and a kind voice, who introduced himself as my surgeon, Mr Jawad.

'I'm going to help you, Katie,' he said. I nodded. I knew I could trust him.

Two days after the attack, I had the first of what would prove to be more than 60 operations to rebuild my face and repair internal damage to my oesophagus.

I had the worst injuries the medical team had ever seen. They sliced away my entire face, removing the dead and burned skin.

I had suffered third degree burns, as well as losing most of my nose, my eyelids, and half my left ear.

The acid had also damaged my eyes, my mouth and my tongue. It had splashed on to my arms, hands and legs, and burned right through my neck and cleavage.

After the operation, I was swaddled in bandages and moved into a high-dependency room. The next day, I went back into theatre for another operation.

Danny was arrested at the scene of the acid attack the evening after it happened.

Apparently he'd gone there, acting concerned, and told the police he was my boyfriend.

His arrest didn't lessen my terror.

He could get out, couldn't he? He could come here and wait until the police officer standing outside my door was distracted, couldn't he?

The next day, five days after the attack, I was dozing in bed when Dad woke me up. 'Katie,' he whispered. 'The police think they've caught the guy who threw the acid. They need you to look at some photos to try to identify him. Do you think you can do it?'

I never wanted to see that face again but I croaked: 'OK.'

A police officer and solicitor came into my room. They explained I would see pictures of nine different men. I shouldn't say anything until I'd seen them all twice. It began. I looked at one man, then another, then another.

Then, suddenly, his face flashed up.

I went through the process twice. When it was over, trembling and sobbing, I pointed him out.
The hoodie's name was Stefan Sylvestre. He had only been caught because he had been spattered by the acid as he threw it.

Over the next few days, in between plenty of sleep, I was cajoled into managing to sit in a chair; there was another operation to clean my wounds; I was able to swallow yogurt for the first time.

Underpinning everything, though, was constant fear. Danny and Stefan stalked my nightmares and I woke up screaming every night.

Nine days after the attack, my surgeon came into my room and explained I would soon be having a major operation.

Mr Jawad seemed like an angel to me and I knew he would do his very best.

Two men had destroyed my face and now this one was going to try to rebuild it.

Beautiful, by Katie Piper, is published by Ebury at £6.99.

To order your copy at the special price of £6.49 with free p&p, please call the Review Bookstore on 0845 155 0713 or visit MailLife.co.uk/books.

To make a donation to the Katie Piper Foundation go to www.katiepiperfoundation.org.uk.

Katie: My Beautiful Friends will be shown on Channel 4 in the spring.

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Acid attack victim: I heard a horrible screaming sound... it was coming from me

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It was just a normal mirror but as I reached for it, my hand trembled. 'Take your time, Katie,' my psychologist Lisa said gently. 'Look at your chest first, then work your way up slowly.' But I didn't do things by halves. I mean, how different could my face be?

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Many argue that Katie Piper suffered a fate worse than death after becoming the victim of an acid attack. The aspiring model has had over 250 operations and will continue to need more for the rest of her life.

Katie Piper was just 24 years old when she had acid thrown in her face as she left her house one afternoon in March 2008.

Before the attack, Katie was an aspiring model and presenter, who had studied beauty therapy.

In her early twenties, Katie finished as a runner-up in the Miss Winchester beauty pageant in 2006. She then moved to London to pursue a career in front of the camera, modelling for glamour and fashion magazines. She was also due to take part in model-based reality show, Candy Crib.

However, with many asking what happened to Katie, the day before she was due to film, she was doused in sulphuric acid after abusive ex-boyfriend Danny Lynch roped thug Stefan Sylvestre in to do the dirty work.

Danny, whom Katie had met through Facebook, had physically and emotionally abused her in a short but destructive two-week relationship.

Days before the attack, Danny had knocked Katie unconscious in a hotel room and then proceeded to sexually attack her, before threatening her with a razor blade and terrifying her into silence.

Promising to keep quiet, Katie was plagued with incessant calls and bullying texts from Danny, who insisted she checked her emails for a message he'd sent, explaining that he wanted to give her a 'present'.

With her internet connection down, an exhausted Katie left the house to use the Internet cafe nearby, whilst on the phone to Danny.

However, she didn't get that far, and soon discovered that the 'present' was a cup full of sulphuric acid thrown in her face by Stefan Sylvestre.

Katie wrote in her book, titled 'Beautiful': "I spotted a young guy in a hoodie crossing the road and coming towards me, with his arms outstretched and a coffee cup clasped between his two hands. He looked like a drug addict or a beggar.

"I felt sorry for him. I rested my mobile in the crook of my neck and reached into my bag to give him some money.

"Splash. He chucked the contents of the cup over my face. For a moment, I didn't understand what had happened. And then the pain hit me - an explosion of agony, unlike anything I had ever experienced before.

"It spread through my body like fire.

"I could feel my face burning, so hot I thought it was going to burst into flames.

"I heard a horrible screaming sound, like an animal being slaughtered. Then I realised it was coming from me."

All the while Danny was listening on the phone.

Katie spent an hour waiting for an ambulance after stumbling into a nearby coffee shop for help.

Since the attack, she has undergone over 250 operations to improve her physical functionality. These include operations to help breathe through her nose, and hours upon hours of psychological therapy to deal with the trauma of the attack.

Katie has described the aftermath of an acid attack as "a life sentence."

Since that fateful day, Katie has focused her energies on raising awareness for burns victims, and is founder of The Katie Piper Foundation charity.

She has also found love with carpenter Richard Sutton, with whom she shares four-year-old daughter, Belle, and Penelope, six months.

WATCH! Katie Piper gushes about motherhood:

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Katie Piper acid attack: what happened to the model and what did she do before

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Many argue that Katie Piper suffered a fate worse than death after becoming the victim of an acid attack. The aspiring model has had over 250 operations and will continue to need more for the rest of her life.

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Katie Piper is the first confirmed Strictly Come Dancing celebrity but some fans of the show have been wondering how she became famous.

Katie, 34, started her career as a model, dreaming of a career modelling for magazines, presenting TV programmes and appearing as a regular face in the media.

However, a horrific incident in 2008 threatened to shatter her dream when her ex-boyfriend arranged for a man to attack her with acid on a busy London street.

In 2008, Katie began dating Daniel Lynch. The pair had only been dating for two weeks when they arranged to stay in a London hotel after a dinner date one night.

It was during this hotel stay that Daniel raped and attacked Katie, leaving her fearing for her life but she abruptly ended the relationship.

However, persistent apologies from Daniel soon saw Katie answering his calls and she eventually agreed to read an email he had sent her on Facebook.

As Katie later explained in an interview with Mail Online: 'In one of Danny's calls he'd told me he'd got a present for me that would change my life for ever. I knew instantly that he was behind it.'

Katie's own internet service was down so she headed to an internet cafe on Golders Green Road and recalls how Daniel had phoned her as she made her way there, asking her what she was wearing, which she duly answered.

But as Katie went to cross the road, attacker Stefan Sylvestre approached her and, while she thought he was going to ask for money, he threw a cup of acid in her face.

'I could hear someone screaming and screaming and kept wishing they'd be quiet. Then I realised it was me,' she added.

'I was standing in the street with people walking past me and I could feel my face evaporating. I thought I was on fire as the acid ate at my skin.'

Katie suffered life-changing burns to her face, chest and arms, undergoing countless operations and procedures to heal the scars left by the attack.

The attack had been caught on CCTV, with both Lynch and Sylvestre being arrested. Lynch received two life sentences, while Sylvestre received one too.

It was then in 2009, one year after her attack, that Katie decided to waive her anonymity and appeared in Channel 4 documentary Katie: My Beautiful Face to raise awareness of what victims like her go through.

Describing the attack in a 2009 interview with Daily Mail, Katie said: 'The pain was indescribable, but for a split second I remember thinking, "How rude to throw coffee when I was trying to help him." I could feel my skin and clothes burning off me.'

Later reflecting, she added: 'I'm never going to be the old Katie. She's like a best friend I once had,' she admits.

'She's gone and there's a different one in her place. I'm not going to be a victim. I'm the woman who got through this. I'm full of life and looking forward to the future.'

Katie has previously admitted turning to alcohol to 'feel like anybody else buy herself' following her harrowing attack.

The 34-year-old admitted she often drank alone until the early hours of the morning at her home as she battled anxiety following her ordeal.

She lost sight in one eye after sulphuric acid was hurled in her face in 2008.

'I almost destroyed myself six or seven years into my recovery. I can talk about the attack and graphic photos quite easily but this part is difficult because I've never talked about it before,' the TV presenter said on the opening night of her one-woman stage show, What's In My Head, Mirror Online reports.

'I'd drink wine, move on to a dodgy spirit, then your cousin's birthday champagne - then you hear a noise and it's your neighbours going to work and it's 7am.

'I was drinking to feel numb. To feel absolutely nothing until I felt unconsciousness. I was drinking to be someone else.'

The brave activist was at the height of her boozing in 2013 when she met builder and carpenter Richard Sutton, whom she later married.

'People have seen photos of my husband at red carpet events but nobody has really heard about what he did behind all of that.'

Piper has since gone on to be an inspiration for other acid attack and burns victims across the country.

As well as her documentary Katie has appeared in a number of other TV shows raising awareness for burns victims and giving them hope at what can be done to help, as well as writing an autobiography, magazine columns, making numerous public appearances and working on her charity the Katie Piper Foundation.

Katie is now married with two children. She announced her engagement to Richard James Sutton in December 2014, tying the knot in November 2015.

They welcomed their first daughter, Belle Elizabeth, in March 2014 and their second, Penelope Diane, in December 2017.

Katie's Strictly announcement came with her discussing her fears about taking part.

'It took a while to say yes because it's something way out of my comfort zone,' she said.

'The only person I told was my husband and he thought I was joking.

'I'm worried I'll be the first to go home, the fear I have is I don't have the natural rhythm. But I like a challenge, anything I can't do it inspires me to learn it.'

When asked who she'd like to be partnered with, she said: 'I would really like to be partnered with Giovanni, but I have no sway in that at all.

'So watch out Giovanni, I'm coming for you!'

'I hope to come away with a different kind of confidence in a different area of my life,' she said of why she's taking part. 'I think it gives a wider message, my past is irrelevant, to be able to go forward and do these things is a bigger wider message.

'That's something I want to take forward, and it's nice to be part of something so light-hearted!'

Strictly will start filming this month, with the rest of the names to be announced across the next two weeks ahead of the series' red carpet launch at the end of the month.

The final three contestants in previous years have been revealed on a special episode of The One Show. This year, the second contestant will be named on Monday night's episode of the BBC magazine show.

Preparations for the series are already underway, with the pro dancers heading back into rehearsals last Monday.

This year's line-up is tipped to include the likes of Corrie star Catherine Tyldesley, Capital DJ Vick Hope, Olympic diver Tom Daley, and Joe Sugg.

There's no confirmed date for the series yet but the launch show - when the celebrities meet their pro partners for the first time - is likely to air in early September, with the main series beginning a few weeks later.

MORE: Graeme Swann 'becomes fifth England cricket player to give Strictly Come Dancing a go'

MORE: Len Goodman is all about the equal pay for Shirley Ballas: 'Same job, same money'

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What happened to Katie Piper? What the Strictly star has said about the acid attack that changed her life

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Katie Piper is the first confirmed Strictly Come Dancing celebrity but some fans of the show have been wondering how she became famous. Katie, 34, started her career as a model, dreaming of a career modelling for magazines, presenting TV programmes and appearing as a regular face in the media.

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The man who hurled acid on television presenter Katie Piper has been released from prison.

Stefan Sylvestre, 30, was given a life sentence with a minimum term of six years in 2009 for the attack on the current Strictly Come Dancing contestant.

It is understood he was released from a jail in Suffolk on Wednesday.

Piper, 35, suffered horrific injuries and was left partially blind after her ex-boyfriend Daniel Lynch arranged for Sylvestre to throw sulphuric acid at her face in north London in March 2008.

It was revealed in August that the Parole Board had directed Sylvestre's release after the case was considered at an oral hearing.

At the time, Piper issued a statement saying she was going through "a really difficult time".

"I am trying to come to terms with the decision and this is something I need to deal with," she tweeted.

"Over the past two weeks Strictly has already given me such a welcome and positive distraction from my past. Whilst there is never a good time to hear this news, I am glad I have this new journey to concentrate on."

A source told The Sun newspaper that Sylvestre's licence conditions include an exclusion zone barring him from an area around Piper's address, but he has been allowed to return to London.

She has also reportedly been given extra security by Strictly bosses during her work on the BBC1 show.

In the summary of its decision to release Sylvestre, the Parole Board said he had "displayed empathy" for Piper and "expressed remorse and shame for his actions".

"During his time in custody, Mr Sylvestre has actively avoided anti-social behaviour within the prison and has avoided violence, despite being under threat," it said.

"He has behaved well to distance himself from such influences.

"He has not been involved in drugs in prison and has completed relevant offence-focused work to challenge and change his attitude and thinking."

Sylvestre became eligible to be considered for release in April 2014 and had a previous review by the Parole Board in 2015.

Lynch was jailed for life with a minimum of 16 years for raping Piper and telling Sylvestre to throw acid over her.

The pair had dated briefly before steroid-fuelled martial arts fan Lynch, who had a previous conviction for pouring boiling water over a man, became obsessively jealous.

In court, Lynch and Sylvestre were told by Judge Nicholas Browne QC they were "the face of pure evil".

Piper, who waived her right to anonymity, shared her story about surviving the attack in the documentary Katie: My Beautiful Face.

She is due to perform the jive on Strictly with her dance partner Gorka Marquez on Saturday night's show.

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Katie Piper acid attacker Stefan Sylvestre released from prison after nine years

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The man who hurled acid on television presenter Katie Piper has been released from prison. Stefan Sylvestre, 30, was given a life sentence with a minimum term of six years in 2009 for the attack on the current Strictly Come Dancing contestant. It is understood he was released from a jail in Suffolk on Wednesday.

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(Image: Publicity Picture)

In the days after the acid attack that left her permanently scarred, Katie Piper wanted to die.

Only able to communicate by writing, she told her mother Diane: "Kill me."

Now her mum has shared diary extracts written in the wake of the attack 10 years ago.

In them, she reveals her anguish trying to help her daughter during that horrific period.

Her words are included in a book she's written with Katie about motherhood.

It also celebrates their special mother-and-daughter bond and how they've supported each other through tough times.

Katie admits reading her mum's words for the first time when she proofread From Mother to Daughter was a shock.

She said: "I felt quite sad afterwards and had to go for a walk and reflect on it. I hadn't realised how difficult life has been for my parents.

"I know how consistent and how caring they've been but it really reinforced how full-on it had been for them.

"The upside is it was quite inspiring. You first think, 'Could I have coped with that if that happened to my child?'

"You realise she was a normal mum with a normal life with a not normal thing and she managed to cope with it and get me through it. It motivates me and inspires me that we can be resilient."

Her mum nursed her through - and then four years ago roles were reversed when Katie cared for her mum when she was diagnosed with cancer.

Katie said: "It does put it in perspective how short and precious life can be. And we know that two times around now as a family, so we have the upmost respect and awareness of that."

She hopes the strength her mother found to help her then perhaps also helped her deal with her cancer battle.

Katie said: "It would be great to think it reframed her thoughts in that way that a positive did come out of that suffering.

"She's endured some of the toughest things that would break some mothers, so I think she certainly wouldn't let this last leg break her now."

Life hasn't been easy for Katie after an ex-boyfriend hired an accomplice to throw acid in her face 10 years ago.

She was left her blind in one eye and had more than 250 operations as surgeons rebuilt her face, chest and hands, which were severely burned.

But she found happiness, married Richard Sutton in November 2015 and is a proud mum of two daughters.

Belle turns four next month and Penelope is just nine weeks. The girls' names have special meanings.

A lot of Katie's recovery was spent in rehab in France and so she picked the French word for beautiful for her first daughter even before she was born.

It was also about beauty not just being about aesthetic appearance.

Katie explained: "We knew she would bring beauty into our lives and my parents' lives as the first grandchild."

Her second daughter Penelope's middle name is Diane, after her mum.

She wanted to "carry on the legacy" after initially fearing that she wouldn't be able to have children.

Katie said finally becoming a mum was "very overwhelming".

She added: "I always appreciate it, which makes the night feeds a little bit easier."

She and her mum decided to write a book together after appearing on ITV's Loose Women last year for Mother's Day.

Katie said: "She read an extract then from one of her diaries and it made me think, 'Wow, I didn't know any of this.'

"Once I became a mother, I was approached a lot to do parenting books.

"I've read many parenting books and they're all about sleeping and feeding. I thought, 'What about writing a book that's tougher and edgy and gritty with more difficult subjects like what is it like to be a woman in the modern world. What do you do when your child goes through trauma and, similarly, when roles are reversed and the daughter becomes the carer of the mother whether that's due to old age, illness or trauma?'

"Feeding issues - you cope through that stage. But some of the other stuff that's thrown at you in life is harder for you to battle."

Katie also revealed her aspirations for her daughters.

She said: "It is to be educated in a form where you have a loud voice for all the right reasons and high enough self-esteem to trust themselves and believe in themselves.

"Maybe I'll give them the book when they get older. I think it's a lovely legacy.

"For my mum and me it's also defining our own closure of what happened to us as a family. It's having that affirmation about what happens in your life doesn't define you, it's what you choose to do afterwards.

"The book is about taking control and ownership back over the events that happened to us as a family."

She also set up the Katie Piper Foundation to make it easier for people to live with burns and scars.

Katie said: "The most inspiring thing for me is the people I meet through my charity. They've been through far worse in their lives and they inspire me in my life and keep me going."

She will be going on a nationwide live theatre tour from next month, taking baby Penelope with her, while her mum and husband will take it in turns to help with childcare.

What's In My Head will see Katie share what helped her remain positive even through the toughest of times.

She is determined not to look back at the difficulties she's faced, adding: "I'm really about living in the present tense and the present moment.

"Sometimes we can waste time living in the past or we can waste time having anxieties about the future."

● From Mother to Daughter: The Things I'd Tell My Child, published by Quercus, is available now from all good bookshops and Amazon. Tickets for her speaking tour are available at www.katiepiperandyou.co.uk.

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Katie Piper's 'special bond' with mum following acid attack and cancer battle

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In the days after the acid attack that left her permanently scarred, Katie Piper wanted to die. Only able to communicate by writing, she told her mother Diane: "Kill me." Now her mum has shared diary extracts written in the wake of the attack 10 years ago.

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Katie Piper Foundation - Get to know Katie

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People often ask us if they can meet Katie and hear her talk - Katie's theatre tour "What's In My Head" which started back in March 2018 gave thousands of people across the country the chance to do just that.

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KATIE Piper has opened up about her ongoing recovery following her harrowing 2008 acid attack which left her with burns across her face.

The 34-year-old model and philanthropist had her world changed forever when her spiteful boyfriend and an accomplice attacked her a decade ago.

Now appearing on Strictly Come Dancing, Katie says she is continuing to fight the after effects of the attack.

"I live with anxiety and I still get depressed, because you don't go through life-changing things and just get better and it's over. You learn to live with it," she told the Daily Star.

"When you have another child, you have no downtime. I did feel depressed and low. But your body is going through changes, physically and hormonally, so I just tried to check in on myself to make sure it wasn't spiralling," she said.

Katie - who has two children with her husband of three years, carpenter Richard Sutton - says a healthy diet helps her fight anxiety and gain confidence.

"What we put in our bodies can make us feel depressed or anxious and it's the same for fitness. I think it all joins up in this big circle," she said.

In February 2008, Katie started a relationship with David Lynch after the pair began messaging on Facebook.

But just two weeks into their romance, Katie started having doubts and he later attacked her in a London hotel room.

Katie then went back to her flat in Golders Green and two days later, Lynch demanded she go to a nearby internet cafe.

However, it was a trap and Lynch had arranged for accomplice Stefan Sylvestre to wait outside her flat and throw sulphuric acid into her face.

Katie was rushed to the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for emergency treatment as the acid had severely burned her face and blinded her in her left eye.

She was put in an induced coma for 12 days and had to undergo skin graft procedures.

She also had to wear a plastic face mask for up to 23 hours a day and in total has had 40 operations to treat her burns.

Just a year after the attack, the model then launched the Katie Piper Foundation to campaign for more specialist help for burns victims.

The attack was caught on CCTV and shortly after Sylvestre, who threw the acid at Katie, was arrested.

Later Lynch was arrested and the pair were both handed life sentences.

In 2015, Sylvestre went up for parole but his plea to be released from jail was dismissed.

Recently, his plea to the parole board received a positive response despite Katie's insistence.

The parole board explained: "He displayed sympathy for the victim and expressed remorse."

Since then, Strictly bosses have been working to make sure Katie is safe at all times in preparation for the release of her attacker.

Got a story? email digishowbiz@the-sun.co.uk or call us direct on 02077824220.

We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.

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Katie Piper reveals she still suffers from depression from acid attack

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KATIE Piper has opened up about her ongoing recovery following her harrowing 2008 acid attack which left her with burns across her face. The 34-year-old model and philanthropist had her world changed forever when her spiteful boyfriend and an accomplice attacked her a decade ago.

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Model and campaigner Katie Piper has said she is "trying to come to terms with the decision" to release her acid attacker after nine years in jail.

"This is a really difficult time for me," she told fans, saying it was "something I need to deal with".

Stefan Sylvestre received a life sentence in 2009 after throwing sulphuric acid at Piper's face on the orders of her former partner.

Piper is currently rehearsing for this year's series of Strictly Come Dancing.

Writing on Twitter, the 34-year-old said she felt it was "important" to send a message to her "friends, supporters and followers".

Participating in Strictly, she went on, had given her "a welcome and positive distraction" from her past.

"Whilst there is never a good time to hear this news, I am glad I have this new journey to concentrate on," she wrote.

Sylvestre, now 30, was told in 2009 he would have to serve a minimum of six years before he would be eligible for parole.

His attack on Piper in March 2008, carried out at the behest of her obsessive ex-boyfriend Daniel Lynch, left her with horrific injuries and permanent scarring.

The Parole Board's decision summary said Sylvestre's case was considered at an oral hearing and that Piper had read statements in person to the panel.

"The panel took full account of the content of these statements and the supporting documentation," its summary said.

It said that Sylvestre, who was 19 at the time of the attack, had "displayed empathy for the victim and expressed remorse and shame for his actions".

It said he had avoided anti-social behaviour while imprisoned, had "repaired his relationship" with his family and had "completed relevant offence-focused work to challenge and change his attitude and thinking".

A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice offered its "heartfelt sympathies" to Piper but said Sylvestre's release was a matter for the Parole Board.

Sylvestre became eligible to be considered for release in April 2014 and had a previous review by the Parole Board in 2015.

Lynch was jailed for life in 2009 with a minimum of 16 years for sexually assaulting Piper and telling Sylvestre to throw acid over her.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk .

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Model and campaigner Katie Piper has said she is "trying to come to terms with the decision" to release her acid attacker after nine years in jail. "This is a really difficult time for me," she told fans, saying it was "something I need to deal with".

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Katie Piper: Why I Appreciate My Mother More Than Ever | This Morning

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Many argue that Katie Piper suffered a fate worse than death after becoming the victim of an acid attack. The aspiring model has had over 250 operations and will continue to need more for the rest of her life.

Katie Piper was just 24 years old when she had acid thrown in her face as she left her house one afternoon in March 2008.

Before the attack, Katie was an aspiring model and presenter, who had studied beauty therapy.

In her early twenties, Katie finished as a runner-up in the Miss Winchester beauty pageant in 2006. She then moved to London to pursue a career in front of the camera, modelling for glamour and fashion magazines. She was also due to take part in model-based reality show, Candy Crib.

However, with many asking what happened to Katie, the day before she was due to film, she was doused in sulphuric acid after abusive ex-boyfriend Danny Lynch roped thug Stefan Sylvestre in to do the dirty work.

Danny, whom Katie had met through Facebook, had physically and emotionally abused her in a short but destructive two-week relationship.

Days before the attack, Danny had knocked Katie unconscious in a hotel room and then proceeded to sexually attack her, before threatening her with a razor blade and terrifying her into silence.

Promising to keep quiet, Katie was plagued with incessant calls and bullying texts from Danny, who insisted she checked her emails for a message he'd sent, explaining that he wanted to give her a 'present'.

With her internet connection down, an exhausted Katie left the house to use the Internet cafe nearby, whilst on the phone to Danny.

However, she didn't get that far, and soon discovered that the 'present' was a cup full of sulphuric acid thrown in her face by Stefan Sylvestre.

Katie wrote in her book, titled 'Beautiful': "I spotted a young guy in a hoodie crossing the road and coming towards me, with his arms outstretched and a coffee cup clasped between his two hands. He looked like a drug addict or a beggar.

"I felt sorry for him. I rested my mobile in the crook of my neck and reached into my bag to give him some money.

"Splash. He chucked the contents of the cup over my face. For a moment, I didn't understand what had happened. And then the pain hit me - an explosion of agony, unlike anything I had ever experienced before.

"It spread through my body like fire.

"I could feel my face burning, so hot I thought it was going to burst into flames.

"I heard a horrible screaming sound, like an animal being slaughtered. Then I realised it was coming from me."

All the while Danny was listening on the phone.

Katie spent an hour waiting for an ambulance after stumbling into a nearby coffee shop for help.

Since the attack, she has undergone over 250 operations to improve her physical functionality. These include operations to help breathe through her nose, and hours upon hours of psychological therapy to deal with the trauma of the attack.

Katie has described the aftermath of an acid attack as "a life sentence."

Since that fateful day, Katie has focused her energies on raising awareness for burns victims, and is founder of The Katie Piper Foundation charity.

She has also found love with carpenter Richard Sutton, with whom she shares four-year-old daughter, Belle, and Penelope, six months.

WATCH! Katie Piper gushes about motherhood:

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Katie Piper acid attack: what happened to the model and what did she do before

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Many argue that Katie Piper suffered a fate worse than death after becoming the victim of an acid attack. The aspiring model has had over 250 operations and will continue to need more for the rest of her life.

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in 2008 she was attacked with acid from her ex-boyfriend and an accomplice, causing major damage to her face and blindness in one eye .

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The attack left Piper horribly disfigured. The acid destroyed the skin on her face, neck and hands.This affect Piper's life after the event as it lowered her self- esteem as her face was damaged and she couldn’t recognise herself.  "Katie has described the aftermath of an acid attack as a life sentence."

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Many argue that Katie Piper suffered a fate worse than death after becoming the victim of an acid attack. The aspiring model has had over 250 operations and will continue to need more for the rest of her life.

Katie Piper was just 24 years old when she had acid thrown in her face as she left her house one afternoon in March 2008.

Before the attack, Katie was an aspiring model and presenter, who had studied beauty therapy.

In her early twenties, Katie finished as a runner-up in the Miss Winchester beauty pageant in 2006. She then moved to London to pursue a career in front of the camera, modelling for glamour and fashion magazines. She was also due to take part in model-based reality show, Candy Crib.

However, with many asking what happened to Katie, the day before she was due to film, she was doused in sulphuric acid after abusive ex-boyfriend Danny Lynch roped thug Stefan Sylvestre in to do the dirty work.

Danny, whom Katie had met through Facebook, had physically and emotionally abused her in a short but destructive two-week relationship.

Days before the attack, Danny had knocked Katie unconscious in a hotel room and then proceeded to sexually attack her, before threatening her with a razor blade and terrifying her into silence.

Promising to keep quiet, Katie was plagued with incessant calls and bullying texts from Danny, who insisted she checked her emails for a message he'd sent, explaining that he wanted to give her a 'present'.

With her internet connection down, an exhausted Katie left the house to use the Internet cafe nearby, whilst on the phone to Danny.

However, she didn't get that far, and soon discovered that the 'present' was a cup full of sulphuric acid thrown in her face by Stefan Sylvestre.

Katie wrote in her book, titled 'Beautiful': "I spotted a young guy in a hoodie crossing the road and coming towards me, with his arms outstretched and a coffee cup clasped between his two hands. He looked like a drug addict or a beggar.

"I felt sorry for him. I rested my mobile in the crook of my neck and reached into my bag to give him some money.

"Splash. He chucked the contents of the cup over my face. For a moment, I didn't understand what had happened. And then the pain hit me - an explosion of agony, unlike anything I had ever experienced before.

"It spread through my body like fire.

"I could feel my face burning, so hot I thought it was going to burst into flames.

"I heard a horrible screaming sound, like an animal being slaughtered. Then I realised it was coming from me."

All the while Danny was listening on the phone.

Katie spent an hour waiting for an ambulance after stumbling into a nearby coffee shop for help.

Since the attack, she has undergone over 250 operations to improve her physical functionality. These include operations to help breathe through her nose, and hours upon hours of psychological therapy to deal with the trauma of the attack.

Katie has described the aftermath of an acid attack as "a life sentence."

Since that fateful day, Katie has focused her energies on raising awareness for burns victims, and is founder of The Katie Piper Foundation charity.

She has also found love with carpenter Richard Sutton, with whom she shares four-year-old daughter, Belle, and Penelope, six months.

WATCH! Katie Piper gushes about motherhood:

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Katie Piper acid attack: what happened to the model and what did she do before

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Many argue that Katie Piper suffered a fate worse than death after becoming the victim of an acid attack. The aspiring model has had over 250 operations and will continue to need more for the rest of her life.