I'm focusing on my value'

Presenter Anna Richardson on why she believes she's feeling happier than ever now she's in her mid-fifties

- EVE MACDONALD

Witty, straight-talking TV presenter Anna Richardson has never been one to hold back — and she’s certainly not about to change the rules now.

“Just because I’m a certain age, doesn’t mean I suddenly want to wear a twin-set and pearls,” the 54-year-old laughs when we catch up over a video call. “Absolutely bloody not.”

Anna may be best known for fronting dating show Naked Attraction — as well as Supersize vs Superskinny, The Sex Education Show and Secret Eaters — but in recent years, she’s also turned her hand to more personal projects, including documentary Love, Loss & Dementia, where she revealed her vicar father Jim’s battle with vascular dementia, to help shed light on the condition.

“It’s probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she said. “The process of filming can be stressful in itself but when you add in a parent with dementia… it’s heartbreaking.”

Now, almost two years on from her high-profile split from former Great British Bake Off presenter Sue Perkins, Anna holds nothing back when it comes to dating after heartbreak, managing the menopause and whether she’d ever step inside the infamous Naked Attraction pods…

Hi, Anna! You’ve spoken in the past about menopause — what has your experience been like?