'I don't want to be sitting at home and retired'

As she turns 84 this week, Gloria Hunniford shares what her career ambitions are and how she’s helping others keep their health in check

- LUCY ROBINSON

Having spent the last six decades working in TV and radio, Gloria Hunniford needs little introduction. And the presenter, who celebrates her 84th birthday this week, is showing no signs of slowing down.

She’s as driven now, in her current roles on Loose Women and Rip Off Britain, as she was in her early broadcasting days on Good Evening Ulster in the late 70s. And she tells us it’s her work that keeps her mind healthy and active.

“I just want to keep my brain ticking over,” she says. “I’ve worked since I was seven. I was a singer originally and that’s what I was going to be. Through a record I made, I was offered a job as a broadcaster on BBC Belfast. I loved it and I ended up loving it more than I did singing.”

Gloria was the first woman to have a daily show on Radio 2 in 1982, which paved the way for a host of female presenters to follow. And she has never lost her passion for the entertainment industry.

“In Northern Ireland, you’re taught to work and I still want to work. I’m the oldest person on the Loose Women team, Janet StreetPorter being the next one down,” she tells us. “Every day I have to read about somebody else. I read the research, I get to meet new people and I get to interview people. “Also, with Rip Off Britain, I’m learning all the time about scams and how to manage your bills and energy prices and everything. It doesn’t matter how you keep your brain busy, but I think it’s important as you get older to do that.”