Anthea Turner
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Anthea Turner (born May 25, 1960 in Stoke-on-Trent[1]) is an English television personality.
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[edit] Career
One of her earliest roles as a television presenter was on the short-lived Saturday morning children's show UP2U. The show was not a major hit, and is chiefly remembered today for a stunt which went wrong, leaving Turner almost burned by faulty pyrotechnics.
Turner later became famous for presenting the children's television show Blue Peter, and around this time, was also associated with publicising 'The Y Plan', a system of exercise developed by the London YMCA. She moved on to presenting on the ITV morning television station GMTV, as well as the first National Lottery draw on BBC1 in 1994, and the ITV travel show Wish You Were Here...?
After her present husband, persistent business man, Grant Bovey left his wife Della for Anthea, the ensuing tabloid interest, and then the "Flakegate" scandal (see below), Turner's career went into a decline.
In 2001, to try reviving her career, Turner appeared on Celebrity Big Brother, and was the third contestant to be evicted, after Chris Eubank left, followed by Vanessa Feltz. In 2003, she came 15th in a Channel 4 poll of 100 Worst Britons.
In February 2006, Turner made a television comeback on BBC Three in Anthea Turner: Perfect Housewife, where she taught disorganised housewives how to fold towels, clean and run their houses and prepare perfect canapés, amongst other accomplishments.
[edit] Personal life
Turner's private life has made her a tabloid staple. After a long relationship with fellow Stoke resident and one-time DJ co-worker Bruno Brookes, she married her manager, British DJ Peter Powell.
However, the marriage was short lived, and in 1998, Turner's present husband, Grant Bovey, left his wife Della for her; he then reconciled with Della, before leaving her again. Bovey and Turner eventually married on 23 August 2000, and now live in Chiddingfold, Surrey.
Turner is keen to start her own family with Bovey, but for various reasons, this has not yet been achieved.[2] She is stepmother to Bovey's three daughters Lily, Amelia and Claudia, from his previous marriage.
[edit] Flakegate
In 2000, Turner received more bad publicity from the British tabloids after photographs of her wedding reception, published in the magazine OK! in an exclusive deal worth £450,000, showed the couple (apparently) using their wedding to publicise a new Cadbury chocolate bar, Snowflake. OK! issued the photo to the media with the caption "Anthea Turner and Grant Bovey: exclusive OK! wedding photograph, enjoying Cadbury's new Snowflake. For the complete wedding coverage and a free Cadburys Snowflake, buy OK! magazine this weekend. OK! First for celebrity news." The Sun described it as "the most sickening wedding photo ever", and the event is now referred to as "Flakegate".[3] However, Turner, Bovey, Cadbury's and OK! all denied that the chocolate was part of a sponsorship deal[4]. However the wedding was was rumoured to have cost in excess of £150,000 which was paid for by OK! magazine. Pictures of their wedding and their subsequent honeymoon were in the magazine for the next two weeks. Turner and Bovey insiste that someone had stuck the chocolate bar in her hand and snapped a picture before she knew what was happening. Richard Desmond the proprietor of OK! and his wife were sitting next to the newly married Boveys at the time.
[edit] Trivia
- Height: 5' 7" (1.70 m);
- Turner's younger sister is animal rights campaigner Wendy Turner Webster, with whom she presented BBC1's short-lived Saturday evening programme Your Kids Are In Charge.
- She has released two work-out videos: Anthea Turner Body Basics (1996) and Anthea Turner: Tone, Lift And Condition: The Inch Buster (1999).
- She was rumoured to have died after being involved in an accident with a motorcycle while presenting an event in 1990. She suffered burns and temporary hearing loss which led to her successful lawsuit against the BBC. The video of the accident can be seen on various web sites [5].
| Preceded by Yvette Fielding |
Blue Peter Presenter No. 20 1992-94 |
Succeeded by Stuart Miles |
