Anthea on her fiancé:
TV legend Anthea Turner tells Closer about her milestone birthday and how lockdown proved to her that her fiancé, Mark, is the love of her life
“Mark’s good with me – he just laughs when I get annoyed”
She celebrated her 60th in lockdown, and although Anthea Turner – who isolated with fiancé Mark Armstrong – says it was one of the most special birthdays she’s had, she’s also looking forward to partying with her friends and family.
She says, “It was just beautiful. I was made such a fuss of! Mark completely spoiled me. We had an incredible cake delivered, amazing food and wine. It was a lovely day, but even so, I’m still going to have a celebration with all my friends and my step-daughters, when we’re allowed to!”
Lockdown came at a convenient time for TV presenter Anthea, who lives in West London, as she was already gearing up to move in with business tycoon Mark – to whom she got engaged in September during a trip to Rome after five months of dating.
POSTPONED WEDDING
She says, “Obviously, the coronavirus pandemic has been devastating. But the timing was perfect for me in terms of my personal life. Mark and I had been flitting between our two places, but lockdown forced us into amalgamating our lives quickly – something that probably would have taken months.
“We spent a lot of time sorting and going through the huge amount of stuff. But it’s been great. We’ve really enjoyed our time together. We’ve had this lovely little new routine – walking, cycling, cooking, and watching Normal People!”
Anthea – whose September wedding has had to be postponed as a result of the pandemic – adds that spending all day, every day with “love of [her] life” Mark has brought them closer than ever.
She says, “If it wasn’t meant to be with me and Mark, I think it would have definitely shown up in lockdown! But it’s been brilliant. We just get on so well and that’s why it hasn’t been difficult. I think Mark’s quite good with me. He lets me be annoyed if I’m annoyed, and then just laughs.”
The former Blue Peter presenter’s wedding to Mark will be her third marriage. She was married to DJ Peter Powell,
69, for eight years in the ’90s, then in
2000, wed businessman Grant Bovey,
59 – whose daughters Lily, Amelia and Claudia remain very close to Anthea – but the pair divorced 15 years later.
This time round, Anthea wants to keep things low profile, so isn’t phased at having to push it on a year.
She says, “This wedding is going to be something pretty and small. We want it in
Italy, so we’ll probably look at venues when it’s safe to do so. But I’m not fussed it’s had to move – it is what it is. It gives us more time to think about what we want, too.”
Anthea delighted viewers during lockdown with her appearance on
Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, a show that pushes famous faces to their limits by giving them a taste of military life.
ISSUES
Looking back on her time filming the show last October, Anthea says she loved getting to know showbiz icon and former glamour model Jordan, real name Katie Price.
She says, “I love Katie, I really do. I just think she’s a revelation. I think people forget about the life she’s had and what she’s been through, so forget that, really, she’s just a normal woman with the same issues that the rest of us have. Lockdown will have been very good for her in some ways. I’m a huge supporter of hers – I think she’s gorgeous and really lovely.”
Anthea wowed fans of the show with her fantastic fitness levels and toughness. One wrote, “Credit to her, Anthea Turner is doing brilliantly”, while another added, “Nearly 60 and she’s super fit!”
Anthea has tried to maintain a good level of fitness during lockdown with steady exercise, and has cut down on booze. She says, “Mark and I have loved cycling, because London’s been so fantastically quiet.
“I’ve done lots of walking, using some light handweights, and the occasional run. I’m a big believer in everyday exercise, but not necessarily intense gym sessions.
“And we’ve really tried to limit the alcohol. I mean, we’re having a few glasses of wine every now and then, but we made a conscious effort to say no at the beginning. And now I feel like I don’t really want a glass, or need one.
“Although I did have a few cheeky glasses of rosé with my stepchildren the other day, and that was marvellous!”
By Lily Smith