best for CELEBRITY
Former GMTV star turned radio host Penny Smith chats Hollywood royalty, her on-screen husband and why she ditched the scales years ago
When best catches up with Penny Smith, she’s not long finished her morning Scala radio show – a job she loves every second of as it combines her passion for classical music and celebrity interviews. And despite ticking off many A-list chats over the years as the face of GMTV, Penny, 65, still gets the same buzz as she did hosting morning TV – not least when she’s given the tough job of interviewing none other than Bradley Cooper. (Us, jealous?!
Never!) But that’s not the only thing that Penny’s kept in her life from her breakfast TV days.
Here, Penny, who is in a relationship with actor Vince Leigh spills the beans on her lasting bond with John Stapleton, how getting up early forced her to be healthy, and why she’d love to take on Ant and Dec’s infamous cyclone challenge.
Hi Penny, you sound like you’re having the time of your life on your Scala show…
It’s lovely! It’s 10am – 1pm, which is brilliant, as it means I have an easy start time of 8am and then I mosey around, go to work and am finished by early afternoon. Plus, I get to do some cracking interviews. I had a great one with Helen Mirren and recently I spoke to Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan about the film Maestro.
We’re so jealous you got to meet Bradley Cooper…
I even have a photograph – the trouble is it’s not particularly well-lit, but it is a picture and it is quite clearly Bradley and Carey. It looks like a stupid height chart. I thought I was a reasonable height, but there’s little me at the end (laughs). I posted it on Instagram and loads of friends texted me and said, ‘I can’t believe that you did that and haven’t told me about it!’
Do you still get the same buzz as you did in your early GMTV days?
Yes, I still get very excited about interviewing people, I think creative people are just amazing. And I’ve got to interview so many of my heroes – like Pierce Brosnan and Meryl Streep, who were absolutely delightful.
Are you still in touch with the GMTV gang?
Oh God, yes! John Stapleton is a mate for life. That’s not a friendship that is going anywhere. Friendships change over the years, they morph and adapt when people have children or move away. But friendships forged when you’re footloose and fancy free are for life. The good, strong friendships are life’s joy and buoy you up when things are gloomy, and also echo the happiness when things go well.
Wou
