'Work is my safe place'

As she re-releases one of her early records, Gloria Hunniford reveals she has no plans to retire

At 84, she’s Loose Women’s oldest panellist – but if things go according to plan, Gloria Hunniford will be making history again in five years' time, as the show’s first 90-year-old presenter.

Famed for her years as a BBC Radio 2 broadcaster and for fronting Rip-Off Britain, the much-loved Irish star has worked solidly since she was seven, and has no intention of slowing down. 'I find work stimulating – it keeps the brain ticking over. I don’t want to sit in a chair at home doing crosswords or watching TV all day long,' she says firmly.

'I like socialising. In Ireland you talk to everybody! I am the age I am, and I regret that it has gone quickly, but I’ve made the most of every opportunity.

'I’m not competitive to the nth degree, but I want to do my best, so if I was still on Loose Women and Rip-Off Britain at 90, I wouldn’t resist the challenge.'

A broadcasting legend, Gloria exudes positivity both on screen and off. Yet her life has been far from easy – and she admits that work has meant even more to her in the past two decades, providing solace from her grief.

Her beloved daughter (one of three children), and former Blue Peter presenter, Caron Keating died in 2004, seven years after being diagnosed with cancer. Then last year she lost husband Stephen Way, after over 25 years together.