Priyanka Chopra has always been ferociously ambitious.

The 38-year-old actress has admitted she's never been "meek" or "shy" and has always been willing to work hard in order to progress her career.

Priyanka - who starred in the 'Baywatch' movie in 2017 - explained: "I had an ambition for winning. Everybody likes winning, but I only liked winning. I wanted to be the one doing the thing nobody else was doing."

The Hollywood star was sent to boarding school at the age of seven and although she initially hated being there, she was determined to make the most of the experience.

She told the Guardian newspaper: "I was never meek, I was never shy. I was always the one who had my hand up, always the one volunteering for debates, elocution, dancing, stage shows, to be a monitor - whatever.

"I just wanted to stand out and not be part of a group, not part of everyone."

Priyanka won the Miss World title in 2000, but she thinks she has much more to offer than just beauty.

She shared: "It was not a goal - it wasn’t even a thought in my head. I thought there was no way I would win, definitely not for beauty. The girls who participated that year were truly the most beautiful girls I’ve ever seen."

Asked why she won the title, the actress replied: "I thought my strengths were my eloquence, the way I think, confidence. I can talk to anyone. Beauty never was."

Despite her success, Priyanka insisted women shouldn't be judged on their looks.

She said: "What pageants stand for in general, yes, I agree that women shouldn’t be judged purely on their looks.

"But Miss World was very clear about beauty with a purpose. It was a lot about your opinions, how you speak, how you can connect with people, your compassion.

"All those things were at the fore instead of tweezing your eyebrows or wearing your best gown."