Ashby's modelling career began when her mother, Anne Ashby, took her at age 16 to a glamour photographystudio in Coventry. In late 1983, she began appearing on Page 3 of The Sun and in British men's magazines. As a consequence, she was expelled from King Henry VIII School, Coventry, before she completed her O-levels. She went on to model for numerous other publications and also starred in a number of softcore videos. She retired from glamour modelling in 1996. Ashby subsequently expressed regret over her glamour modelling career. She noted that she suffered from bulimia for around seven years, that men frequently preyed sexually on young glamour models, and that she underwent therapy for four years. She supported the decision to remove Page 3 from The Sun, stating that if she had a daughter, she would not want her to become a glamour model. In 2018, aged 50, Ashby featured in a charity glamour pictorial in The Sun, appearing alongside other former Page 3 models to raise funds for a fellow former model's cancer treatment. She and the other models were photographed covering their breasts with their hands. Since retiring from modelling, Ashby has been involved in managing pubs and restaurants, and in property development.
Personal life
Ashby had a controversial and widely publicised relationship with American actorTony Curtis when she was 17 and he was 59, during which she spent time at his Palm Springs home. In an interview, she downplayed any sexual aspect of the relationship, saying that "He wanted company. It wasn't just my boobs... He said I had an interesting personality." She was also linked romantically to Status Quo guitarist Rick Parfitt and gangster Reggie Kray. Ashby married session musicianRichard Mead in 1992, but the marriage ended two years later. After retiring from glamour modelling, she moved to the Isle of Man in 1996, where she married Dave Wookey in 1999. The couple had a baby boy in 2000, but they subsequently divorced. Ashby currently lives with her fiancé Johnny Mills, son, and stepson.
