TV presenter Anna Richardson on the return of Naked Attraction, beauty tweakments and finding respect in relationships
WORDS: JULIE ANN TRAINOR PHOTOS: ALAMY, PA PHOTOS, SHUTTERSTOCK
BARE TRUTHS
Shropshire-born TV presenter and podcaster Anna Richardson is funny, open and honest, whether she’s talking about sex, dating or struggles with the menopause.
She’s back on our screens with Naked Attraction – the controversial Channel 4 dating show that regularly has TV viewers gasping from their sofas. In it, a host of single men and women pick partners in their birthday suits, before going on a date to test their initial instincts about them.
As for her own love life, Anna dated fellow TV star and comedian Sue Perkins for eight years until what she has called their “excruciatingly painful” split in 2020. But she tells OK! they remain great friends and still “love each other”, and she seems to have put the heartache behind her as she has been in a relationship with a “lovely man” for the past 18 months.
Here, 53-year-old Anna talks about why she says yes to Botox, how she would jump at the chance to present Naked Attraction in the States and why she would have no qualms about getting her kit off on television...
Hi Anna, how are things?
Good. It’s been very difficult I think for all of us in recent years, so I’m looking at 2024 with renewed optimism.
And Naked Attraction is coming back…
I was really hoping it would come back. It’s an incredibly popular show. It’s doing really well in the States too. I was absolutely desperate to do it.
Did they ever ask you to present it in the States?
Not yet. So again, I’m putting that out there to the universe. They’ve got all seven series at the moment, but it’s taking the States by storm and they’re like, “What is this show?” Emma Stone was talking about it. She was over here in the UK promoting Poor Things and she and Mark Ruffalo were like, “Oh my God, we love this show.” It’s a big deal over there, so I’m just waiting for the phone call.
We’ll keep our fingers crossed for you. Would you relocate to America if they asked you to do it?
Oh 100%. Come on, Naked Attraction in the States, it would be hilarious. I’d be there in a flash.
Why was the show cancelled in the UK?
It wasn’t cancelled, so that absolutely was a bit of a myth and sort of misreporting. In 2022 we recorded quite a few episodes, so that’s why we didn’t record in 2023,
