Anthea Turner looking for love on TV in celebrity dating show

Unlucky-in-love Anthea Turner is trying to find herself a new partner – on a TV dating show.

The presenter, who is currently single after splitting from love-cheat husband Grant Bovey in 2013, has signed up for a celebrity version of the hit Channel 4 show reality TV series First Dates, to air next week.

But she takes part in the show with some trepidation, admitting that she intends to “protect my heart” to stop herself from getting hurt.

The one-off TV special is part of the station’s fundraising effort for Stand Up to Cancer.

Prior to her date Anthea, 55, admits: “From the age of 14, this is the first time I’ve ever been single. I’m so far out of my comfort zone – this is like I’m 20 again.”

She split up with husband of 13 years Bovey after he had an alleged affair with 25-year-old Zoe de Mallet Morgan, which didn’t last. Prior to that she was married to former Radio 1 DJ Peter Powell for eight years, which came after a long relationship with fellow DJ Bruno Brookes.

Last year Anthea was dating Dragon’s Den star Richard Farleigh but the relationship fizzled out.

Prior to her date, to be screened on Monday, she tells the camera: “Being with someone for 16 years, divorce, everything… It’s like Vesuvius goes up and you have to re-establish every relationship in your life.

“I think it takes you a couple of years to really reground yourself in this new life, and then I think you’re in a much better place to let somebody in. But I will protect my heart. You have to be really careful about this. If you protect it too much then you’re never going to get into another relationship because you’re always going to be defensive.”

Showing her feistier side Anthea added: “I’m a woman who’s defined by me, not the person I’m with. There are not many ‘middle lane’ people that I’m attracted to.”

In the series all the diners are on real blind dates. One show source said: “Some of them will arrive to the First Dates restaurant unaware that they have been matched with a celebrity singleton who is also genuinely looking for love.”

Joining Anthea on Celebrity First Dates is former X Factor winner Alexandra Burke who confesses that her personal life has suffered since she took part in the singing show. “I auditioned for the show at 19, won at 20. I’m 27 now and I haven’t stopped.

“I would definitely say my love life has suffered because of it and to be honest that’s why my childhood sweetheart and I broke up.”

She admits to finding dates “nerve-wracking” but says that now is the “right time” to try to find a partner. “It’d be nice to be able to share my life with someone else. If I could close my eyes and picture my ideal man, I think he’d have to look like The Rock.”