Broadcaster turned Beauty Queen Anthea Turner
We catch up with the eternal golden girl to chat health, beauty – and whether she will be ageing disgracefully.
One of TV’s most famous faces, Anthea Turner turned 66 back in May – and has no plans to put her feet up. We catch up with the eternal golden girl to chat health, beauty – and whether she will be ageing disgracefully.
She has had her ups and downs, but nobody can deny that Anthea Turner is the ultimate professional. Gracing our screens since the mid-Eighties, Anthea still looks remarkably fresh-faced well into her sixth decade and is busy adding new strings to her showbiz bow – including launching her own YouTube channel and creating a brand-new beauty empire, all in a period she describes as her ‘Second Spring’. Here, she tells us more.
Anthea – is it true to say have we caught you at a busy time?
“I’m glad to say I have never been so busy! I am working a great deal as a travel influencer these days, and have just got back from a wonderful TUI cruise. The fun never stops!”
Your beauty brand, By Anthea, must also be keeping you busy. Can you tell us a little about the range and how it came about?
“I have always been vigilant about looking after my skin, but it got to the point where I couldn’t find everything I was looking for in one pot – so I developed my own range. It offers all-natural skin care with a luxury feel. I can honestly say I don’t use anything else. I just pop on some SPF and I’m good to go.”
Is there a hero product in the line you swear by?
For me, it must be Balm 6 (£39.99), which has won lots of awards. It is so good for your skin and multifunctional; I just cannot live without it. It can be used as a cleanser and night cream or as a little nourishment for everything from your brows and lips to your cuticles and the ends of your hair. I have also been known to use it on my dog’s nose, which gets very dry!”
Is that your secret to looking great in your Sixties? It cannot all be down to lotions and potions…
“I do so many things! I try to stay out of the sun or use a sunhat and SPF religiously. I have also been taking collagen for over a decade and am a firm believer in eating and drinking what you love – but all in moderation. I also glug a big spoon of quality olive oil every day. My nutritionist friend, Tonia Buxton, told me about it years ago and I feel so good for it.”
What about anything else when it comes to beauty and aesthetics?
“I also believe in ‘tidying up as I go along’. I have been having micro-needling for a few months, and have been honest about having regular Botox for those deeper lines that even the best skincare just cannot reach.”
It still seems almost impossible that you will be hitting 70 in just in five years. Will you be aging gracefully or disgracefully?
“Seventy? I’m only just getting my head around turning 66! Thankfully I am in one of the happiest phases of my life. I call it ‘My Second Spring’ because it is such a special chapter. I have a wonderful partner, great friends, my career is busy and I’m now a Grandma too!”
Do you believe that this generation is redefining how we age?
“Totally. Seventy is not what it used to be. I’m proud to be an ambassador for Silver Marketing because we are a growing, influential sector that is digitally active and mentally engaged. My Seventies do not scare me; there is no time for slowing down.”
You suffer from osteopenia. Can you tell us about how it affects your life?
“It’s a debilitating bone-thinning condition that impacts nearly four million Brits, and almost 80% of sufferers are women. The effects include heightened risk of fractures, immobility and chronic pain. I was probably perimenopausal when diagnosed, but my doctor didn’t mention the correlation between. It was just treated as an aspect of ageing, like needing reading glasses. Adopting a Mediterranean diet has really helped. Think of your bones as your body’s bank – if your body is mineral deficient in other areas, it will draw out what it needs from your skeleton, and your bones become weakened.”
You are also open about being dyslexic, and in the past have described it as your ‘superpower’. In what ways has it shaped who you are?
“Anyone with dyslexia will tell you that you must work twice as hard to keep up. When I worked at GMTV, I’d have to learn my scripts each morning because auto-cue was a challenge for me. But it made me organised and that’s the only way I can function. Like a girl guide, I prepare for everything.”
You recently had surgery for a torn rotator cuff! How are you at rest and recouperation – has it made you slow down?
“It was a shock as I simply slipped on my pyjamas which were a bit long, and boom, I was down! I managed to climb Kilimanjaro a few weeks later, unbeknown to me the damage I had done to myself. Luckily, I have a wonderful consultant who spotted it on a scan, and I was operated on quickly. The biggest hardship is not being able to blow-dry my own hair!”
And finally, when your arm is back in full working order, what is next for you?
“I am excited to be in the early stages of launching my YouTube channel, which will be a lovely lifestyle channel packed with great content and plenty of take-away tips. We are also working on expanding and developing the skincare range, so there is always something to be doing. I’m proud to say we don’t test on animals; we test on Anthea!”
Anthea’s skin care range, By Anthea, can be purchased from Antheaturner.com/shop
