TRACY GRIMSHAW 'I'VE NEVER BEEN HAPPIER'

Surrounded by her beloved dog and horses, the TV star reveals all about her new life

Tracy Grimshaw is truly living her best life since leaving behind the glitzy world of TV. In fact, she's loving her new-found freedom so much the news legend recently turned down the opportunity to receive two coveted journalism awards given to honour her long career so she could remain out of the spotlight.

Tracy reportedly wanted to "avoid the media circus" that she would have faced on the red carpet and instead chose to spend that time with friends, family and cherished pets, including two-year-old kelpie Edith who, she admits, "makes me laugh 50 times a day".

This didn't come as a surprise to any of her tight circle of friends, who tell Woman's Day how the 62-year-old has been loving a life without the deadlines and pressure that came with being the host of A Current Affair (ACA) for nearly 17 years.

"She's always hated the attention," reveals one mate.

"Tracy sees herself as a journalist and not a celebrity, so she's always struggled with the amount of attention that came with being one of the most famous women on Australian TV. She loves the work, but she also loves having a private life."

AN ORDINARY LIFE

And she has been able to enjoy having her life back for the past six months after stepping down as host of ACA in November and taking a year-long sabbatical, before deciding what, if anything, she will do when she returns to Nine.