“I’m working harder than I’ve ever worked in my life. Slowing down? Definitely not! ”
THERE’S NO STOPPING THE JOURNALIST AND BROADCASTER VANESSA FELTZ, AS SHE EMBRACES A NEW CHAPTER AFTER HER LIFE TOOK AN UNEXPECTED TURN
It’s been a tough year for Vanessa Feltz. But although ‘shattered’ after the end of her 16-year engagement, she’s coping by keeping incredibly busy.
When she’s not presenting TalkTV or This Morning, spending plenty of time with her four grandchildren helps take the 61-year-old’s mind off her painful split from singer Ben Ofoedu earlier this year. And she’s also managing to squeeze in filming a series of Celebs Go Dating – which she’s taking part in, rather than presenting.
‘I’ve had a broken relationship, and it was only in the middle of January,’ she says. ‘So it’s been a bit of a leap, really, but I’m doing my best – I’m trying to be happy. Every month that goes by I feel a bit more used to it, a bit less shocked, and a bit better.’
Part of the reason she’s cramming so much into her new single life is because her mum, Valerie, died of cancer at the age of 57, and Feltz is acutely aware of how precious – and short – life is. So she wants to make sure she spends as much time as possible with her grandchildren – Zeke, aged nine, Neroli, seven, AJ, four, and Cecily, 10 months.
‘It’s absolutely the best thing on earth being a grandmother – there’s nothing like it. It’s an absolute pleasure and privilege,’ she declares.
‘My mum died at the age of 57 and I’m now 61, so every single day that I’m around to be with my grandchildren and experience them is absolute bliss for me, and a complete honour, because I’m so aware of life being short and time going fast. It’s a joy for me, and I love them with all my heart.’
Feltz is adamant that, despite being a granny, she’s definitely not slowing down. Quite the opposite, in fact.
‘You could say I’m working harder than I’ve ever worked in my life. Slowing down? Definitely not!’ she says with a laugh. ‘No, I’m speeding up.’
And she’s not just on the work fast track either – Feltz is also doing plenty of socialising. To illustrate the point, she explains how she ‘goes everywhere’ on the back of a motorbike – not driving it herself, but as a passenger on a limo bike. ‘You hop on the bike and the driver delivers you wherever you want to go,’ she says. ‘I’m always bombing off on this motorbike, and last week I went to Rupert Murdoch’s enormous party – Rishi Sunak was there and Suella B
