Fern Britton looked unrecognisable as she shared a throwback snap to mark 45 years in the TV industry on Monday.
The presenter and author, 67, looked fresh faced and youthful in the image that was taken when she was just 23 and first starting out in her career.
She penned in the caption: ’17 March 1980 I joined Westward Television in Plymouth as a continuity announcer.
’45 years ago today! I was 23 and really didn’t think I’d last more than 45 minutes.’
Fans shared kind messages in the caption as they congratulated her on her career achievements.
Fern went on to co-present Breakfast Time in the 1980s and hosted the cookery game show Ready Steady Cook between 1994 and 2000 on BBC Two.
Fern Britton looked unrecognisable as she shared a throwback snap to mark 45 years in the TV industry on Monday
The presenter and author, 67, looked fresh faced and youthful in the image that was taken when she was just 23 and first starting out in her career
Fern went on to co-present Breakfast Time in the 1980s and hosted the cookery game show Ready Steady Cook between 1994 and 2000 on BBC Two
The star also then presented ITV’s This Morning programme from 1999 to 2009.
It comes after late last year Fern opened up about what lockdown was really like for her after she underwent a trio of traumatic events.
The presenter found herself entering an ‘era of indolence’ after the UK was plunged into a national lockdown following the deaths of both her parents and the breakdown of her marriage.
The TV star lost her mother Ruth in April 2018 before her dad Tony Britton also passed at the end of the following year.
Then in 2020 she announced her split from husband Phil Vickery after almost 20 years together.
Speaking to The Mirror, Fern candidly explained: ‘My mum died and a year later my father died and the next year my marriage died.
‘I fell into this era of indolence I call it, where I just started just lying in bed later and later and later.’
Fern revealed she soon found herself struggling to find the point of getting out of bed and began smoking, drinking and eating badly.
The star, who appeared on Celebrity Big Brother last year, then noticed the physical side effects starting to have an effect on her health as she realised she had gained weight and was having problems breathing.
The star also went on to present ITV’s This Morning programme from 1999 to 2009 (pictured in 1983)
The presenter and author, 67, looked fresh faced and youthful in the image that was taken when she was just 23 and first starting out in her career
She added: ‘Looking back I was in a very bad place and gradually I started to pull myself out of it.’
Fern even revealed that one night it all came to a head as she decided to quit smoking after too many cigarettes led to her pulling over mid car ride to throw up in a field.
Feeling much more herself almost five years on from the start of the 2020 lockdown, the star now has regular therapy sessions and is exercising again.
Fern recently revealed that she wants to find love again – four years on from her divorce from her chef husband Phil.
Appearing on Lorraine, Fern told Christine Lampard: ‘People say to me: “Are you dating? Are you doing this, are you doing that.”
‘The answer is no. I’m not dating at all. I’m not looking for anything, but – although I’d never want to get married again, or live with anyone again – I’d like just a bit of romance.
‘A little bit of going out to supper or maybe having a bit of a holiday. Someone to talk to at the end of the day to run things past. That would be nice.’
Fern appeared on Celebrity Big Brother last year
She finished: ‘I don’t need it. But it would be nice.’
Fern and Phil met on BBC Two’s Ready Steady Cook and share one child together, daughter Winnie, 23, and Fern announced on Twitter that they had split.
In a statement she wrote at the time: ‘After more than 20 happy years together, Phil and I have decided to go our separate ways.
‘We will always share a great friendship and our lovely children. We would appreciate it if our privacy is respected at this time. Thankyou for your continued kindness and support.’
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