Anthea Turner has opened up about how she was “cancelled” before the term even existed, following the affair with her now-ex-husband, Grant Bovey, which led to the breakdown of her marriage to Radio 1 DJ Peter Powell in 1998. The television presenter, 65, was labelled a “homewrecker” after she left Peter for Grant, who had also been married with children at the time.
In a candid interview, Anthea admitted that it was a difficult time for her, and she feared her career was over after the scandal broke. “I was ‘cancelled’ before we even had the word,” she said. “When I went through a difficult time, yes, I was absolutely pushed aside – over, done, I couldn’t get arrested.” She also revealed how the industry had changed when she tried to return to work after the scandal died down.
“I remember thinking, ‘Oh my goodness me, that’s probably me done’,” she recalled, explaining how her career took a hit due to the public backlash. But she also reflected that, despite everything, she doesn’t regret her relationship with Grant, which lasted 15 years and ended in 2015 after his affair with interior designer Zoe de Mallet Morgan.
Anthea said that she is “on good terms” with both of her ex-husbands, adding, “There’s absolutely no bitterness. Grant and I had some great years, Peter and I had some great years.” She admitted to owning up to her affair and spoke about the impact it had on her career. “I owned up to it, because when people split up and say, ‘There’s nobody else involved,’ you know damn well there is,” she confessed.
Despite the turmoil in her personal life, Anthea found “emotional and professional freedom” after her divorce from Grant. “After my divorce, I met myself again,” she said. “The me I am now in my sixties is much closer to the one I was in my thirties, only now I have the golden ticket of experience.”
Now, Anthea is happily engaged to millionaire businessman Mark Armstrong, with the couple planning their wedding after postponing due to COVID-19 and the death of Mark’s mother. She also shared that her upcoming wedding will be a more intimate affair, especially after her infamous “Flake Gate” wedding to Grant, which was widely mocked for its extravagant nature and Cadbury’s Flake promotional tie-in.
Looking back at her 2000 wedding, Anthea said, “It was so extravagant. Really when I think back now, I do remember thinking: ‘This is not me, I don’t really want it to be so big.'” She admitted to being “bamboozled” into the lavish celebration and revealed how the chocolate bar fiasco became a symbol of how everything went wrong.
Now, with a new chapter ahead, Anthea feels more confident than ever and ready to embrace the future, leaving behind the past’s regrets.
Source: Daily Mail
