TV presenter Anthea Turner
on the challengers to her
cleaning crown and why
divorce is the best thing that
ever happened to her
L
ong before Mrs Hinch and
Marie Kondo came into
our lives to clear the clutter
and do away with the dirt,
Anthea Turner was the original
queen of clean.
With her inspiring TV shows
and books, Anthea taught us the
best ways to keep our houses
shiny and mess-free. And she
would know – she appeared
to have the perfect life in a
sprawling £10 million Surrey
mansion with then husband Grant
Bovey, 58, who she married in
2000, and his three daughters,
Lily, Amelia and Claudia.
But in 2009, the rug was pulled
from under her when Grant’s
business faltered and they were
forced to sell their beloved home.
The couple finally split in 2013,
when Grant’s affair with Zoe De
Mallet Morgan, then 24, came to
light. Devastated Anthea had to
play detective to prove rumours
that her husband of 13 years was
cheating on her.
Anthea kicked off her career on
local radio in the 80s. She hit the
TV big time when she landed a
spot presenting Top Of The Pops
before moving on to the sticky-
back plastic world of Blue Peter.
Morning TV was soon calling
and Anthea landed a prime
presenting role on GMTV
alongside Eamonn Holmes.
However, like the recent spat
between Phillip Schofield and
Amanda Holden, she fell out with
Eamonn – who famously dubbed
Anthea “Princess Tippy Toes”- and was booted from the show.
Now, the 59-year-old lives in
a bright and airy apartment with
views of the Thames, just a
stone’s throw away from Kew
Gardens. It may be smaller than
the mansion she once lived in,
but it’s homely and filled with
happy family photos, books
and awards – not to mention it’s
just as clean and tidy as you
would expect.
Anthea is warm and welcoming
as she rushes around doing her
hair ready for our shoot and
dishing out tea and cake to the
crew that has taken over her
home. It’s clear that while the
past few years have been tough,
Anthea is a fighter. After “a ton of
therapy” she says she finally feels
like her old self, and she’s hitting
the dating scene again.
Here, Anthea opens up about
daytime TV dramas, divorce and
living her life in the public eye...Hi Anthea! How do you feel
about Instagram’s Mrs Hinch
stealing your cleaning crown?
[Laughs] Maybe it’s time to regain
my title! I was the original, after
all. Obviously, I love the fact that
there are so many people out
there who are passionate about
homemaking, but people like Mrs
Hinch are just squirting chemicals
around. Don’t get me wrong, I’m
pleased she’s doing so well, but
it’s so bad for our environment
and our health and you really
don’t need it. Most of the time all
you need is a little more elbow
grease. Nobody can be super
clean – I would fail the white
glove test for dust – but it’s not
the end of the world.‘ The greatest lesson I’ve
learned? I’m OK on my own’
EXCLUSIVE