Kellie Maloney has opened up about her life as a transgender woman and why it shouldn't be viewed as 'trendy' in an exclusive interview.

Born Frank, 62-year-old Kellie started the process to transition two years ago and underwent her final surgery in March this year. But while Kellie said she is now happy in her gender she revealed that she 'doesn't know' her sexuality.

FEMAIL met the former boxing promoter at Bloomsbury of London hair salon, where she was given a 'fresh look for Christmas' - a chic chin-length bob with light blonde highlights.

Scroll down for video

Kellie Maloney has opened up in an exclusive interview with FEMAIL. The former boxing promoter has just got a chic chin-length bob with light blonde highlights, courtesy of Bloomsbury of London hair salon's innovative 'hair system'

Wearing skinny jeans, silver snakeskin low-heeled loafers, and wrapped in a hairdressing cape, Kellie told us she likes going to the salon, drinking tea and having a chat with the girls.

But she admitted she can find the high maintenance of being a woman a 'pain in the a***e' and worries much more about how she looks now than when she was a man.

'I am more conscious about my appearance now than I have ever been. I'm very conscious about my weight as well, which I never used to be.'

Kellie told us that she still hits the gym but now works on toning different parts of her body, doing less strength training compared to when she was a man. She continues to box, but jumps on the cross trainer now to up her cardio.

Kellie has opened up about life as a woman since completing gender reassignment, why being transgender shouldn't be viewed as 'trendy', and potentially becoming 'the oldest virgin in town'

FEMAIL met Kellie at Bloomsbury of London where she was having a 'hair system' fitted

What to wear is another worry, as Kellie said she has had to completely re-evaluate her wardrobe and style. But she turns to celebrities for pointers.

'I like Lorraine Kelly, I like Ruth Langsford and I look at the girls on Sky Sports news - I like the weather girl on Sky.

'I always look to see what they're wearing, how their hair looks... because I think they dress very appropriately, and it suits my age and my style,' she said.

Kellie told us that her confidence has grown as a woman over the last year and she's comfortable wearing jeans again ('I realised women don't wear dresses 24/7') and going out without makeup.

'With a hair piece it would slip, there's a chance it could be pulled off. With this they can do what they like. Grab it pull it - it won't come off,' Kellie said of the hair system

Kellie was recommended to Bloomsbury of London by a transgender friend as the salon specialises in hair replacement. Here the hairdresser prepares Kellie's natural hair for her new look

Kellie has worn a hair system (pictured) - which costs £1,000 - £1,500 - since February this year, but she decided to go for a 'fresh look for Christmas' with a new lighter colour and sleeker style

I'm very at ease with myself, so if I'm walking my dogs or going to the gym or just need to run out for a bottle of milk, I don't worry about my makeup,' she said.

But being a woman does have it perks, said Kellie, as she told us a story of when she tried to buy a round of drinks at the bar for some friends.

'I turned to this guy and said, "I'm getting the drinks, what would you like?" and he looked at me and he said, "You are f***ing joking".'

Kellie told him that she'd always bought the drinks, to which he replied, 'It's different - you're a woman now. I've never accepted a drink from a woman in 50 years and I'm not starting now.'

'So I got drunk without needing to buy any drinks,' Kellie laughed. 'It was so funny to be treated like that - to me that's them accepting me as I am now.'

The hairdresser puts the new hair on Kelly. After it's fixed she can treat is as her normal hair - washing, styling, cutting and colouring - and it stays put 24/7 with maintenance needed on average every six weeks

The hair system anchors to existing hair or is attached with medical-grade adhesive pads where there is none

But not everyone's been so generous towards Kellie.

Despite knowing she was 'different' from three years old, she still grew up as 'one of the boys', competing with her two brothers and going to football matches with her father.

She shows us a picture of Frank at a Millwall game next to a man squaring up to a policeman.

'I look at pictures like this and pictures of me now and it just makes me smile. I feel like a totally different person, [but] I do remember being that person because it's always going to be a part of me,' she said.

Two people who are struggling to forget Frank are Kellie's brothers, who are yet to meet her as a woman.

'But that's just life,' Kellie philosophises. 'It's probably hard for them to understand - I mean it took me nearly 50 years to come to terms with it myself and I've lived with it all my life.

'I'm not going to force myself on people, they have to come to terms with it themselves,' she added.

Wearing skinny jeans, silver snakeskin low-heeled loafers, and wrapped in a hairdressing cape, Kellie told us she likes going to the salon, drinking tea and having a chat with the girls

But Kellie admitted she can find the high maintenance of being a woman a 'pain in the a***e' and worries much more about how she looks than when she was a man

Some old friends have struggled to accept Kellie too, but one recently had a breakthrough when they ran into each other at a party a few weeks ago.

'One of the guys came up to me and went, "I really find this difficult and I don't want to upset you. What do I call you?... You're Kellie now but I've only known you as Frank".

A picture of Frank (bottom left looking at the camera) at a Millwall game. 'I look at pictures like this and pictures of me now and it just makes me smile,' Kellie said

'I said "Look, if it's easier to call me Frank just call me Frank. If you slip up don't worry".

'He gave me a cuddle and said "That's really nice - I was so frightened of seeing you again".'

To which Kellie answered, "I've not had a brain transplant - I've just corrected something that's wrong with me".'

Kellie first realised that she should have been born a woman after reading an article in the Sixties about Britain's first known transgender woman April Ashley.

'I related everything in that article to what I'd been through and how I felt and just thought, "God this is me, I'm born in the wrong body".'

Kellie suffered depression and attempted suicide as she 'tried to fight' the feeling that she was a woman in a man's body, and she is keen to emphasise that being transgender is not something to be taken lightly.

Kelly struggles to know what to wear as a woman, but uses Lorraine Kelly and Ruth Langsford as inspiration. Pictured: The stylist cuts Kellie's hair into a bob

One perk of being a woman, said Kelly, is being bought drinks. Recounting a recent night out with old friends Kellie laughed, 'I got drunk without needing to buy any drinks'

She worries that the issue is so big in the media now, particularly after Caitlyn Jenner's Vanity Fair cover, that it's being called the 'in' thing.

'Let me tell you it's not an 'in' thing to be transgender,' Kellie said. 'To go through this is no joke.

'You don't choose if you're transgender. You don't wake up one morning and think, "I'm going to put on a dress and a pair of shoes and a wig and go out".

'You wouldn't just put your body through what we go through - because if you do you need to be locked up and have the key thrown away.

'What people don't understand is we actually don't have a choice.'

Kellie refers to friends she has made on her journey who 'haven't made it' - committing suicide because they couldn't face the rejection for being transgender.

Kellie's two brothers are yet to meet her in person. 'But that's just life,' Kellie philosophises. 'It's probably hard for them to understand - I mean it took me nearly 50 years to come to terms with it myself'

Kellie suffered depression and attempted suicide as she 'tried to fight' the feeling that she was a woman in a man's body

'It's not a trendy thing to do and it's not an 'in' thing to do and I really want people to understand that,' emphasised Kellie.

'But it's nice that it's becoming more accepted and people are just getting on with their lives.

'And that's all we ask of people - to be left alone, to be accepted and to be respected the same as everyone else.'

It's this desire to be left alone that is leading Kellie to a new life abroad.

'Sometimes I would like to have a bit more of a private life, which is one of the reasons why I am moving to my house in Portugal to live there for a while.'

Kellie said she wasn't sure how long she'd be there, but just needed to take a break from 'being Kellie Maloney' and be able to have a coffee without being recognised.

Kellie worries that transgenderism is so big in media now, particularly after Kaitlyn Jenner's Vanity Fair cover, that it's being called the 'in' thing

Kellie has said she wants more of a private life and so has decided to move to her home in Portugal for a break

Kellie is looking forward to her new chapter but is unsure what her future love life holds. 'I am now happy in my gender... my sexuality, I don't know it,' she said

But Kellie said she is in a good place in her life now and is ready to move on to the next stage.

'When I first started this [transition] I said it was a jigsaw and I was putting all the pieces together.

'My final piece was my operation in March this year and now I've accepted who I am.

'My second part is finding out where I go from here. Do I find a relationship or do I stay single? To me that is the next chapter.'

Born Frank, 62-year-old Kellie started the process to change gender two years ago and underwent her final surgery in March this year. Pictured: She steps out of Bloomsbury London with her new hair 'do

Frank was married to two women, but in August this year Kellie came out as a straight woman. So if she does choose to be in a relationship, will it be with a man or a woman?

'It's an issue that people have to understand - your gender issue is not your sexuality issue - they are two totally different things,' explained Kellie.

'I am now happy in my gender... my sexuality, I don't know it.

'I may end up the oldest virgin in town,' she laughed, adding, 'My gravestone will say "return unopened".'

Kellie has worn a hair system - which costs £1,000-£1,500 - since February this year, but she decided to go for a 'fresh look for Christmas' with a new lighter colour and sleeker style.

Her 'integrated hair system' is not a wig or extensions but a specialist treatment which was anchored using her existing locks and medical-grade adhesive pads.

Speaking of her new do, she said: 'It's part of my life. With this option it became me.'

'With a hair piece it would slip, there's a chance it could be pulled off. With this they can do what they like. Grab it, pull it - it won't come off,' she said.

Kellie was recommended to Bloomsbury of London by a transgender friend as the salon specialises in hair replacement systems.