Danni abs fab after getting lockeddown with trainer
TELLY HOST IS RIGHT AT HOME AWAY FROM HOME
A Place in the Sun presenter Danni Menzies has ensured she will be bikini body ready after lockdown by isolating with her personal trainer. The TV star, who lives in London, brought her best friend and fitness guru Chrissy Rigby up to Scotland just before the shutdown was announced.
The exercise expert is now making sure they both stay in shape as they self-isolate together on Danni’s family’s beautiful Mains of Taymouth Country Estate near Kenmore in Perthshire.
From daily exercise and yoga sessions to kayaking on Loch Tay and running up hills, Chrissy is keeping her pal on her toes and it’s paying off as pictures of the presenter’s toned physique are causing a stir on Instagram.
Danni, 32, who returned to our screens on Monday in a new series of the Channel 4 property show, said: “Chrissy has been brilliant. We’ve been friends for more than 10 years and she is also my PT.
“She lives right in the middle of London and when I realised lockdown was about to happen, I told her she needed to come back with me to Scotland as she would be miserable isolating in the city on her own.
“My mum and dad have wee holiday homes on the estate but they are shut so we have moved into one together and it’s fantastic. I feel so lucky to be in such a beautiful place with my friend.”
The former model added: “Chrissy has ensured I don’t slip into bad habits. Sitting on Netflix is tempting but she will have me up and out in the garden for a training session.
“We are both active people and love keeping fit but it is nice to have that extra bit of motivation. We’ve been running up the nearby hills and all my family have dogs, so we take them on long walks every day. We’ve also been kayaking on the loch and I’ve been trying my hand at yoga.
“Chrissy is vegan and I am vegetarian, so we have been experimenting with healthy veggie curries and Friday night has become pizza and pyjama night.
“Although, I’m eating healthy, I am a bit of a cheese fiend and have been getting through a good few blocks of cheddar but with all the exercise I am doing, I am burning it off.”
The small screen regular, who first joined the A Place in the Sun team back in 2016, is also loving taking a break from the rat race and being closer to her family.
She said: “Life is usually so fast. I can’t remember the last time I sat down and read a book or just called certain people. You have to switch off as there is nothing to switch on. I’ve even started doing a bit of writing.
“I’m getting to see much more of my family too. My auntie and uncle from Glasgow are isolating in the holiday house across from
A Place in the Sun presenter gets back to basics after coronavirus crisis leaves her isolated on family’s stunning estate with her fitness-mad pal
ours, my mum, dad, sister and brother are just around the corner and my other auntie works in the post office in Kenmore. My granny is nearby too, so I’m able to do her shopping, talk to her through the window and walk her dog.”
As she cannot showcase properties abroad, Danni has been making Instagram videos of her family’s estate, which are proving a hit online.
She said: “I’ve been doing tours of the house and castle, taking people on my favourite runs and walks.
“Lots of people have been getting in touch saying they want to book a holiday here later in the year as it looks so beautiful.”
Danni, who left home at 21 for Edinburgh to pursue a career in modelling, believes the return of A Place in the Sun is just what the doctor ordered. She said: “We need shows like this more than ever now as it is escapism.
“I think we will see more and more folk wanting to buy abroad now they have had a chance to pause and take stock of their lives.”
The TV host has backed a number of charities in the past including Macmillan Cancer Support and animal welfare initiatives.
And Danni admits the only thing she is really missing is her charity work.
She said: “When I am not filming, I help out three times a week at a London soup kitchen and I am missing that.
“I am an ambassador for the Mayhew animal shelter in London and I’ve become involved with Rushton Dog Rescue which is saving dogs from the meat trade in China.”
Danni added: “I am looking forward to raising more awareness for the charities closest to my heart once this is all over but until then, I’m enjoying keeping fit.”
A Place in the Sun is on Channel 4, Mondays to Fridays, at 3pm.