Anna Richardson

{{short description|English presenter, television producer, writer and journalist}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Anna Richardson

| image = Anna Richardson.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Richardson doing an interview in Trafalgar Square, 2009

| birth_name = Anna Clare Richardson

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1970|09|27}}

| birth_place = Wellington, Shropshire, England{{cite web|url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/entertainment/2016/07/30/naked-attraction-shropshire-born-presenter-anna-richardson-defends-dating-show/|title=Naked Attraction: Shropshire-born presenter Anna Richardson defends controversial dating show|date=30 July 2016 |publisher=Shropshire Star|access-date=19 December 2020}}

| death_date =

| death_place =

| education = The School of St Mary and St Anne

| television = {{Flat list |

}}

| occupation = {{hlist|Television presenter|writer|producer|journalist}}

| years_active = 2000–present

| employer = Channel 4

| partner = Charles Martin (1996–2014)
Sue Perkins (2014–2021){{Cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/sue-perkins-naked-attraction-anna-richardson-great-british-bake-off-b943363.html|title=Sue Perkins 'splits' from Naked Attraction's Anna Richardson|first=Abbianca|last=Makoni|date=30 June 2021|website=Standard.co.uk|access-date=23 October 2021}}

| website = {{url|annarichardson.co.uk/}}

}}

Anna Clare Richardson (born 27 September 1970) is an English television presenter, writer and journalist.{{cite web |url=http://www.annarichardson.co.uk/about.html |title=About |publisher=annarichardson.co.uk |access-date=3 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622005137/http://www.annarichardson.co.uk/about.html |archive-date=22 June 2012}} She has presented various television shows for Channel 4, including Supersize vs Superskinny (2008–2009), The Sex Education Show (2008–2011), Secret Eaters (2012–2014), Supershoppers (2016–2019), Naked Attraction (2016–present) and Changing Rooms (2021–2022).

Early life

Richardson was born on 27 September 1970 in Wellington, Shropshire, England,{{Cite web |title=Naked Attraction: Shropshire-born presenter Anna Richardson defends controversial dating show |url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/entertainment/2016/07/30/naked-attraction-shropshire-born-presenter-anna-richardson-defends-dating-show/ |access-date=September 24, 2024 |website=Shropshire Star |date=30 July 2016 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160731194017/https://www.shropshirestar.com/entertainment/2016/07/30/naked-attraction-shropshire-born-presenter-anna-richardson-defends-dating-show/ |archive-date=July 31, 2016}} daughter of James Richardson, vicar of Great Brington, Northamptonshire, and Janet, a religious education teacher.{{Cite news |first=Matthew |last=Moore |title=TV presenter Anna Richardson traumatised by hotel room raiders|newspaper=The Times|language=en|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/healthcare/article/tv-presenter-anna-richardson-traumatised-by-hotel-room-raiders-rfl0swmdd|access-date=2021-08-03|issn=0140-0460}}{{Cite news|last=Scott|first=Interviews by Caroline|title=Relative values: TV sex guru Anna Richardson and her father Jim|newspaper=The Times|language=en|url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/relative-values-tv-sex-guru-anna-richardson-and-her-father-jim-kffjvldpz30|access-date=2021-08-03|issn=0140-0460}} She was educated at The School of St Mary and St Anne, an Anglican girls' independent boarding school in the village of Abbots Bromley near Rugeley, Staffordshire.{{cite web|url=http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/tv/the-big-interview-anna-richardson-234392|title=The big interview: Anna Richardson|author=Roz Laws|work=Birmingham Mail|date=8 September 2008|access-date=10 November 2014}}

Career

Richardson started her television presenting career on The Big Breakfast on Channel 4, and thereafter for the next six years appeared regularly in television programmes including Love Bites for ITV, for which she was nominated for an RTS award.{{Cite web|url=http://www.thetvfestival.com/whats-on/speakers/chairs/anna-richardson/|title=Anna Richardson|website=The Edinburgh International Television Festival|language=en|access-date=2019-02-27}}

Richardson went on to present Love Bites Back, Dream Ticket, Des Res, and the ITV series Big Screen, in which she interviewed a number of prominent Hollywood personalities.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}

Richardson has written and produced television programmes including No Waste Like Home, Turn Back Your Body Clock and Channel 4 series You Are What You Eat.{{cite web|url=http://sexperienceuk.channel4.com/sex-education|title=No Sexperience Necessary|website=Am I Normal – Channel 4}}

Richardson fronted Channel 4's The Sex Education Show,{{cite web|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/real-life-stories/2008/09/05/anna-richardson-hopes-new-tv-series-will-help-educate-brits-about-sex-86908-20724202/|title=Anna Richardson hopes new TV series will help educate Brits about sex|author=Lindsay Clydesdale|date=4 September 2008|work=dailyrecord|access-date=3 October 2015}} broadcast from 9 September to 14 October 2008. The Sex Education Show returned in March 2009 as The Sex Education Show vs. Pornography. A third series, The Sex Education Show: Am I Normal?, was broadcast in July 2010. The fourth series, called The Sex Education Show: Stop Pimping Our Kids, aired from 19 to 21 April 2011. The fifth series began on 19 July 2011.{{cite web |url=https://www.channel4.com/press/news/channel-4-orders-more-sex-education-show |title=Channel 4 orders more Sex Education Show |date=March 10, 2011 |website=Channel 4 |access-date=September 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240924160606/https://www.channel4.com/press/news/channel-4-orders-more-sex-education-show |archive-date=September 24, 2024}}

Richardson presents Channel 4's Secret Eaters, which began on 16 May 2012. She, alongside Louise Redknapp, hosts How Not to Get Old, which began on 7 August 2013. Richardson and Andi Osho present Supershoppers, which began on Channel 4 on 1 February 2016. Osho has now been replaced by Sabrina Grant.{{Cite web |url=https://www.channel4.com/press/news |title=News | Channel 4 |website=www.channel4.com}}

She presents Channel 4's Naked Attraction, which began on 25 July 2016.{{cite web | url= https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/oct/04/naked-attraction-dating-show-us | title= 'A new low': explicit UK show Naked Attraction causes a stir in the US | work=The Guardian | first=Adrian | last=Horton | date=4 October 2023 | access-date=27 December 2023}}

In 2017, Richardson co-presented How to Retire at 40 on Channel 4. From January to June 2018, she was a panellist on six episodes of ITV's Loose Women. In February 2018, she co-presented How to Get Fit Fast with Amar Latif on Channel 4.{{fact|date=December 2023}}

In 2019, Richardson presented Channel 4's Thomas Cook: The Rise and Fall of Britain’s Oldest Travel Agent, a documentary about the collapse of Thomas Cook Group.{{fact|date=December 2023}}

Richardson presents Channel 4's How to Save a Grand in 24 Hours. The first episode aired on 26 April 2021.{{cite web |url=https://rts.org.uk/article/tv-picks-26th-april-2nd-may |title=TV Picks: 26th April - 2nd May |last=Cottrell |first=Imani |website=Royal Television Society |date=26 April 2021 |access-date=September 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426162832/https://rts.org.uk/article/tv-picks-26th-april-2nd-may |archive-date=April 26, 2021}}

On 5 May 2021, Channel 4 confirmed Richardson will be the host of the reboot of Changing Rooms.{{cite web |url=https://www.channel4.com/press/news/anna-richardson-host-channel-4s-changing-rooms-reboot |title=Anna Richardson to host Channel 4's Changing Rooms reboot |date=May 5, 2021 |website=Channel 4 |access-date=September 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505123140/https://www.channel4.com/press/news/anna-richardson-host-channel-4s-changing-rooms-reboot |archive-date=May 5, 2021}}

On 26 May 2022, it was confirmed that Richardson would co-present with Yinka Bokinni the Channel 4 series Naked Education.{{cite web |url=https://www.channel4.com/press/news/channel-4-commissions-new-body-positivity-format-betty-tv |title=Channel 4 Commissions new body positivity format from Betty TV |date=May 26, 2022 |website=Channel 4 |access-date=September 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220526111340/https://www.channel4.com/press/news/channel-4-commissions-new-body-positivity-format-betty-tv |archive-date=May 26, 2022}}

On 13 June 2023, Channel 4 commissioned the documentary The Truth About the 'Skinny' Jab about slimming jabs, which Richardson presented. It aired on 19 September 2023.{{cite web |url=https://www.channel4.com/press/news/anna-richardson-front-betty-tvs-slimming-jab-documentary |title=Anna Richardson to front Betty TV's 'Slimming Jab' documentary |date=June 13, 2023 |website=Channel 4 |access-date=September 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230614192034/https://www.channel4.com/press/news/anna-richardson-front-betty-tvs-slimming-jab-documentary |archive-date=June 14, 2023}}{{cite web |url=https://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-truth-about-the-skinny-jab |title=The Truth About the 'Skinny' Jab |date=September 19, 2023 |website=Channel 4 |access-date=September 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129032104/https://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-truth-about-the-skinny-jab |archive-date=November 29, 2023}}

On 2 October 2024, Richardson presented Anna Richardson: Love, Loss & Dementia; a Channel 4 documentary about dementia in her own family.{{cite web|url=https://www.channel4.com/programmes/anna-richardson-love-loss-dementia|title=Anna Richardson: Love, Loss & Dementia|website=channel4.com/programmes|accessdate=3 October 2024}}

Legal dispute with Arnold Schwarzenegger

Richardson sued Arnold Schwarzenegger and two of his aides, Sean Walsh and publicist Sheryl Main, over comments they made about her claims that he groped her. The case was settled in 2006.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/5288194.stm |title=Entertainment – Schwarzenegger libel 'settled' |date=2006-08-26 |publisher=BBC |access-date=2015-10-03 }}

Personal life

Richardson identifies her sexuality as fluid. In a 2015 interview with The Daily Telegraph, she stated: {{quote|"For me, it's just a case of 'I am who I am'. I'm not interested in being labelled gay or straight, my sexuality is fluid. I'm just me. I just happen to have fallen in love with a woman, simple as that."{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/11339805/I-just-happen-to-be-in-love-with-a-woman.html |title=I just happen to be in love with a woman |date=2015-02-12 |last=Lambert |first=Victoria |work=The Daily Telegraph }}}}

Richardson was in an 18-year relationship with TV producer Charles Martin. She dated comedian Sue Perkins from 2014 before "amicably splitting" in 2021.{{Cite web |url=https://www.metro.news/i-cant-bare-to-go-nude-says-naked-attraction-presenter-anna-richardson/1673056/ |title=I can't bare to go nude, says Naked Attraction presenter Anna Richardson |website=Metro Newspaper UK |access-date=2019-08-28 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190828220111/ps://www.metro.news/i-cant-bare-to-go-nude-says-naked-attraction-presenter-anna-richardson/1673056/ |archivedate=2019-08-28 |date=2019-08-12 |first=Julia |last=Hunt }}{{Cite web |url=http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/anna-richardson-reveals-sex-sue-7588969 |title=Anna Richardson reveals all about sex with Sue Perkins |last=Buckland |first=Lucy |date=2016-03-19 |website=Daily Mirror |access-date=2019-08-28 }}{{Cite web |last=Makoni |first=Abbianca |date=June 30, 2021 |title=Sue Perkins 'splits' from Naked Attraction's Anna Richardson |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/sue-perkins-naked-attraction-anna-richardson-great-british-bake-off-b943363.html |website=Evening Standard |language=en |access-date=September 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709182123/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/sue-perkins-naked-attraction-anna-richardson-great-british-bake-off-b943363.html |archive-date=July 9, 2021}}

References

Bibliography

Body Blitz: Five Rules for a Brand New You (2010)
Summer Body Blitz Diet: Five Rules for a Brand New You (2011)
Mind Over Fatter: See Yourself Slim, Think Yourself Slim, Eat Yourself Slim (2015)