'Work is my safe place'

As she re-releases one of her early records, Gloria Hunniford reveals she has no plans to retire

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At 84, she’s Loose Women’s oldest panellist – but if things go according to plan, Gloria Hunniford will be making history again in five years' time, as the show’s first 90-year-old presenter.

Famed for her years as a BBC Radio 2 broadcaster and for fronting Rip-Off Britain, the much-loved Irish star has worked solidly since she was seven, and has no intention of slowing down. 'I find work stimulating – it keeps the brain ticking over. I don’t want to sit in a chair at home doing crosswords or watching TV all day long,' she says firmly.

'I like socialising. In Ireland you talk to everybody! I am the age I am, and I regret that it has gone quickly, but I’ve made the most of every opportunity.

'I’m not competitive to the nth degree, but I want to do my best, so if I was still on Loose Women and Rip-Off Britain at 90, I wouldn’t resist the challenge.'

A broadcasting legend, Gloria exudes positivity both on screen and off. Yet her life has been far from easy – and she admits that work has meant even more to her in the past two decades, providing solace from her grief.

Her beloved daughter (one of three children), and former