Vanessa Feltz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vanessa Feltz
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Feltz in 2019
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| Born |
Vanessa Jane Feltz
21 February 1962 London, England
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| Education | Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge (BA) |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1992–present |
| Employer | BBC Radio (1989–2022)
News UK (2022–2024) Global (2024–present) |
| Television |
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| Spouse(s) |
Michael Kurer
(m. 1983; div. 2000) |
| Partner(s) | Ben Ofoedu (2006–2023) |
| Children | 2 |
Vanessa Jane Feltz (born 21 February 1962) is a well-known English television personality, radio host, and journalist. She has appeared on many popular TV shows. These include Vanessa, The Big Breakfast, and This Morning. She also took part in Celebrity Big Brother and Strictly Come Dancing.
Vanessa Feltz hosted an early morning radio show on BBC Radio 2 for many years. She also presented the Breakfast Show on BBC Radio London. Since December 2024, Vanessa Feltz has been working for LBC radio.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Vanessa Feltz was born in Islington, London, on 21 February 1962. She grew up in a part of North London called Pine Grove, in Totteridge. She often jokes that Totteridge is like "the Beverly Hills of North London." Her father, Norman, worked in the lingerie business.
Vanessa went to Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls. This is an independent school located in Elstree, Hertfordshire. After school, she went to Trinity College, Cambridge. There, she studied English and earned a top degree.
Career Highlights
Starting Her Career in Media
Vanessa Feltz began her career as a writer. She was the first female columnist for The Jewish Chronicle. Later, she joined the Daily Mirror newspaper.
She became famous on TV when she replaced Paula Yates on Channel 4's morning show, The Big Breakfast. On this show, she interviewed celebrities while they were relaxing on a bed. Vanessa also worked as a magistrate from the age of 28. However, she had to stop because people recognized her too much from her TV appearances.
Moving to Chat Shows
Vanessa Feltz hosted her own daytime chat show on ITV, called Vanessa. This show was made by Anglia Television. In 1998, she moved to the BBC to host a similar show, The Vanessa Show. This move was a big deal, reportedly worth £2.7 million. After she left, ITV replaced her show with Trisha.
In 1999, The Vanessa Show faced some challenges. There were claims that some guests on the show were actors. Even though Vanessa wasn't involved in booking the guests, she was seen as responsible. The show was cancelled not long after this.
Radio and Reality TV Appearances
In 2001, Vanessa Feltz started working for BBC London 94.9. She hosted a phone-in show in the afternoon. This show continued for many years, moving to different time slots. She hosted her last show for the station in August 2022.
Vanessa also returned to the Big Brother house in 2010. This was for Ultimate Big Brother, which was the final series on Channel 4. She was voted out of the house a few days before the final episode.
Expanding Her Radio Work
In 2011, Vanessa Feltz took on more radio and TV work. She started hosting the BBC Radio 2 Early Breakfast Show. This show aired every weekday morning. A radio critic from The Daily Telegraph described her voice as "like lemon tea with honey." From 2021, her show started even earlier, at 4:00 AM. She often filled in for Jeremy Vine on his news show when he was away. Vanessa announced in July 2022 that she would be leaving the show and BBC Radio 2.
In 2011, her TV show The Vanessa Show on Channel 5 moved to an afternoon slot. This change allowed her to do her live TV show after her morning radio commitments. The Guardian newspaper called her "officially the hardest working woman in broadcasting." This was because of her busy weekday schedule.
In July 2019, a BBC report showed that Vanessa Feltz was one of the highest-paid BBC presenters. Her salary was reported to be £355,000.
Recent Career Updates
In January 2024, there were many complaints about comments Vanessa Feltz made on This Morning. She talked about coeliac disease and later apologized for her remarks.
From September 2022 to April 2024, she hosted a weekday show on Talkradio and TalkTV. In May 2024, it was announced that Vanessa Feltz would host a show on LBC radio on Saturday afternoons. Later that year, it was also announced she would host on Sunday afternoons for the same station.
In May 2024, she appeared on Late Night Lycett. She worked as a wrestling commentator for an event. At the end of the show, she even wrestled and won her first match!
Personal Life
Vanessa Feltz married surgeon Michael Kurer in 1983. They later divorced in 2000.
In December 2006, Vanessa got engaged to singer Ben Ofoedu. They were engaged for many years. In February 2023, Vanessa announced that she and Ben had separated.
She has two daughters from her marriage. She also has four grandchildren. Her older daughter, Allegra Benitah, is a TV baker and chef.
Vanessa Feltz lives in St John's Wood, London. Her house was once owned by Charles Saatchi. It was also shown in a 1973 documentary called Metro‑Land.
