'I WAS ALWAYS AN EMBARRASSMENT'

Vanessa Feltz on letting her parents down, dieting as a child and being single

- ROBYN MORRIS

Never one to sugar-coat things, Vanessa Feltz is refreshingly honest when it comes to the tough things she's been through, such as being forced to diet by her mother aged nine and discovering both her long-term partners - ex husband Michael Kurer and former partner of 16 years Ben Ofoedu – had been unfaithful. 'I've always been out there with everything,' she says.

But one thing that's been a constant for Vanessa is her broadcasting career. Speaking of her TV work, which kicked off in the 90s, Vanessa, who is mother to two daughters, Allegra and Saskia, says, 'It was so unexpected at the time.

SHOCK CAREER

Her ambition came from her father Norman, who owned a lingerie business, as Vanessa, 63, says, 'He convinced us the family were always about to starve to death. That's why I keep working. It's a basic compulsion.'