Daily Mail

Channel 4 host Anna: My shock at finding out I was infertile… on TV

- By Laura Lambert TV & Radio Reporter

PreSeNter anna richardson has revealed her shock at finding out she was infertile while making a television programme – and that the director ‘phoned the office’ before telling her.

the Naked attraction host, 46, who is in a long-term relationsh­ip with former Great British Bake Off presenter Sue Perkins, said she still cannot ‘get over’ how the crushing news was handled.

Speaking at the edinburgh tV Festival, she explained that she had agreed to have fertility tests in 2008 as part of Channel 4 series the Sex education Show.

however, when the doctor broke the news to her that she was ‘completely infertile’, she learnt that her director – who was pregnant – had already ‘phoned the office’ to tell them the results.

Miss richardson, who at the time was in a relationsh­ip with film director Charles Martin, said the experience was an example of presenters making themselves ‘very vulnerable’.

She told her audience in edinburgh: ‘I have a story about a show I did a few years ago called the Sex education Show, which I loved but as a part of it my producer said to me, “We want to do something about fertility, so would you be prepared to have your fertility tested?”

‘I thought, “F*** it, I’m in my 30s, I’ve got tonnes of eggs, I’m fine”. and off we went to this fertility clinic. My director at the time was pregnant and she went in to speak to the doctors and I was stood outside for ages and ages with the crew.

‘I knew something was going on. eventually the doctor appeared and said, “Can I have a word with you?”

and she took me to one side and she said, “I’m really sorry but you’ve got nothing. you’re completely infertile”.

‘and the thing that I still cannot get over is that my director had phoned the office and told them before I had got the news that I couldn’t have children.’

Miss richardson’s distress can be seen on the programme, when fertility guru Zita West speaks to her.

On it, the expert tells her: ‘the results have come back and they are lower-thanaverag­e...the quality of the eggs will be changing and the reserve will be diminishin­g.’ Miss richardson then says she was not expecting to be told she has ‘low fertility’ at the age of 37.

the Sex education Show was intended to improve the nation’s knowledge of sexual issues, and ran for five series from 2008 to 2011.

More recently the presenter has hosted controvers­ial naked dating show Naked attraction and has been dating comedian Miss Perkins, 47, since 2013.

Both women have spoken of their shared desire to adopt in the future.

Miss richardson told the Daily Mail in 2015: ‘ I think because I’m 45 now I’m thinking long and hard about fostering and adopting. It would be nice to create a little unit.’

‘Still can’t get over it’

 ??  ?? Dating: Anna Richardson and Sue Perkins
Dating: Anna Richardson and Sue Perkins

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