When you think about Dame Esther Rantzen, you probably wouldn’t peg her dream reality show to be Naked Attraction.
But the That’s Life icon, who admits she loves to “shock” her family with her racy confessions, certainly doesn’t mind stripping off to make herself more comfortable.
Esther, who now presents a radio show on Boom Radio along with her daughter Rebecca Wilcox, sat down with Daily Star Online to discuss her hopes for the future, her current projects, and the advice she gave to Charlie Dimmock about going braless on Ground Force.
Esther’s life has changed a lot since the start of the pandemic. Her radio show has gone virtual, meaning she can wear comfortable clothes for work, and tease her daughter Rebecca along the way.
“It makes her a bit nervous, because I love shocking her,” Esther explained.
(Image: GETTY)
“I admitted, for example, the fact that I walked around the garden topless. I must say, the gardener was a little taken aback.”
Esther chuckled: “I told her that I was a child of the 60s, but my daughter pointed out that this happened in the 80s, so I had no excuse. I wasn’t 80 then, mind you!”
And it’s difficult to keep her home life off the airwaves.
“It’s rather worrying. I try and keep it polite and discreet, but unfortunately the desire to shock my daughter overcomes me.
(Image: Daily Express)
“I told her a story about sitting next to Ernie Wise on a cruise, and she pointed out somebody who she could tell was a hairdresser, because he had rather spiky, peroxide hair – so I asked him whether he was or not.
“He said no – he sold lubricants and marital aids.”
Esther is no stranger to reality TV, having made her mark on the Australian jungle when she appeared on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here in 2008.
She’s also appeared on everything from First Dates to Strictly Come Dancing.
But Esther now has her sights set firmly on something with a little less glitz and glamour – and a lot less clothes.
“I’ve been wondering about Naked Attraction, because I love shocking my family. I thought I’d be in one of the pods. But they’d all have to be my age, and it would be hilarious.”
Laughing, she confessed: “I’d have a naked old man! No, actually, I don’t think I’d like a naked old man picking us.”
The conversation soon turned to a speed date Esther had been asked to go on: “It was young men who were looking for an old woman. And by older women, they meant someone in their mid-30s, and I was in my mid-60s.
(Image: Steve Reigate Daily Express)
“I was a bit of a shock. There was one very nice young man, we got on very well, and I asked him why he wanted an older woman. Was it because she had a mature wallet? And he said no, I’m looking for a grateful old slapper.
“I don’t think I was grateful enough.”
Esther hit headlines recently after Ground Force star Charlie Dimmock shared the advice the TV legend had given her ahead of the decision not to wear a bra on air.
Speaking to The Independent, Charlie said: “The TV presenter Esther Rantzen said to me, ‘You’ll be labelled the braless one for the rest of your life’.
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And it seemed Esther was right, as Charlie admitted: “Ground Force was a long time ago, and I have to say, even now, people will bring it up.
“It is very silly.”
But it seems Esther doesn’t even remember the exchange.
Upon being read Charlie’s comments, Esther wondered incredulously: “I said what?! I said that to her?”
She continued: “It is interesting – I think we’ve all been labelled one way or another. I was always ‘toothy’ Esther Rantzen. When I became a veteran, it was my age people concentrate on.
“Charlie, I’ve known a very long time. We saw each other recently and I didn’t remember that she didn’t wear a bra! To me – I think she’s a bit too young to be a national treasure, but I think she’s made it – she’s memorable for her wonderful red-gold hair. I’m not really conscious of her underpinnings,” Esther admitted.
“She’s a free spirit, is Charlie. She breaks all barriers. I remember her telling me that in the garden centre where she worked, frail little old men would try and carry very heavy pots of plants and equipment, and wouldn’t let her carry them even though she had many more muscles than they did.
“Garden – at least on television – has in some ways always been a bit sexist. An awful lot of television gardeners have been men, so Charlie has been a bit of a gender breakthrough.
“She does all the heavy lifting herself, so no wonder she breaks free from the constraints of her underwear.”
Esther’s Boom Radio show alongside her daughter Rebecca airs at 7pm every Sunday.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
