At one point I just knew I was going to die.. it was wonderful to wake up after second op

Television presenter reveals she’s back happy and healthy after complications from routine surgery led to near-death experience

been subjected to sexual harassment in the workplace.

She said: “I never knew what it was at the time. Without naming names, I was being welcomed to a programme and a very famous man was there and after lunch, he said to me, ‘Well, I wonder how long it will be before I’m having an affair with you because I do have a very big c**k’.

“I was about 24 and I went home to my mum but we didn’t even acknowledge what was going on. Of course, I refused to let anyone faze me.”

Fern went on: “I think every woman on the planet has had a difficult sexual situation, where they thought, ‘Oh my God, this is not what I was signalling and now I’m in a mess. What do I do, do I close my eyes and get on with it, or make my excuses and leave?’ “For a lot of people, you can’t easily make your excuses and leave. I’ve had that happen too.

“It’s wonderful that it’s coming to light. The vast majority of men are not like that. The new generation of men understand that women aren’t just available to look pretty and have sex with – and we are turning a corner.”

Gender pay is a topic on which she’s keen to set some records straight. She left ITV’s This Morning in 2009, amid reports that her decision was fuelled by the discovery that her co-host Phillip Schofield was earning more than she was.

Fern insists that wasn’t the case and said: “I’ve grown up in a situation where you don’t ask people how much they are being paid, so it definitely wasn’t that.

“It was weird because that was a story that was put out to discredit me, to make it look like I was greedy, wanted more and so walked away. My answer is always, ‘Why would I walk away to go to nothing?’ I also firmly believe that if the person who is doing the same job as you – male or female – is getting more than you, that is wrong.

“On the other hand, we have to be sensible and discover what our ‘enough’ is. I was very happy with my ‘enough’ on This Morning. Sometimes I thought I was probably being paid too much!

“But I think the women at the BBC are absolutely right to come out about this. I don’t think it’s necessarily the right thing to suddenly reduce the men’s money – that’s crazy. It’s all down to agents, who are the ones who negotiate.” She may have suffered divorce, depression and a near-death experience but Fern has remained confident in her job. She said: “I’ve always had a sense of self-worth. I just wanted to get on with my own stuff.” She’s been married to TV chef Phil Vickery for nearly 18 years (they have a daughter, Winnie, together, and three grown-up children from Fern’s first marriage). So, what’s the secret of her happy marriage? “We don’t keep each other on a lead,” Fern said. “Most of the time, we are very easy with each other.” She may be 60 but exercise is a firm fixture in Fern’s life now, cycling long distances for charity and keeping herself fit. “Turning 60 was like waiting for a horrible dentist’s appointment,” she admitted. “I was very nervous and it took a bit of thinking about but then the day came and it was fine. Then I started thinking about the positives. I get free prescriptions, 10 per cent off on Tuesdays in the Co-op, my Boots card and my rail card. I’m quite proud of those.” ●Coming Home by Fern Britton, left, published by HarperCollins, priced £12.99, is out now.

I’ve always had a sense of self-worth. I just wanted to get on with my own stuff. FERN