STRICTLY Come Dancing star Lisa Riley braved the elements on Saturday to sign copies of her new autobiography in WH Smith for fans after a whirlwind 12 months.

The actress, from Tottington, who first won the country’s heart as Mandy Dingle in ITV1 soap Emmerdale where she stayed for six and a half years, has enjoyed various roles on TV and stage, but her biggest achievement was getting to the semi-finals of last year’s Strictly Come Dancing.

But along side this, Lisa suffered a blow when she lost her mum Cath, aged 57, who died after a long running battle with cancer just weeks before she started the BBC show.

In her new book, Never Judge a Book by its Cover, the actress opens up about her rollercoaster 12 months, dealing with her mother’s death to being asked to front the live Strictly Come Dancing arena live shows.

She said: “I’m Bury through and through. My family and friends are my be-all and end-all. Everybody who knows me knows success doesn’t change me.

“Because of my size it’s great that I have inspired people of all sizes to get up and dance. I have had my ups and downs but I don’t think anyone has the right to judge anybody else.”

Never Judge a Book by its Cover is out now.