Fiona Bruce was physically ill for a whole year after she took on too much work.
The ‘Question Time’ host presents BBC News, ‘Antiques Roadshow’ and ‘Fake Or Fortune’, and has opened up about her past struggle with balancing work and home life, and how she became "physically ill" because she took on a "never-ending list of things to do".
She told The Sunday Post: "I have had years when I’ve tried to cram more things in. I had one year, five or six years ago, where I just became ill. Physically, I just couldn’t do it all. I wasn’t seriously ill but it was a bit of a wake-up call. I remember thinking that I just felt too tired so I became more judicious about what I chose to do and not do.
"Part of it is work, but there are a number of charities I’m closely associated with. I get asked by several other charities a week and there is a never-ending list of things you could do."
And the 55-year-old presenter explained that she "over-stretched" herself and is now trying to maintain a healthy work and home life balance.
She added: "I feel that someone in my position should do as much of that as they can. I think I’ve slightly over-stretched myself on that front along with my BBC work, so I’m trying to be more sensible on both fronts about managing my time."
Fiona has presented BBC One’s ‘Antiques Roadshow’ for 12 years, and the star admitted that she could never let go of the long-running Sunday series – which is regularly watched by up to six million viewers – because it’s "fascinating" and a "great contrast" to the rest of her work.
She continued: "I absolutely love doing it. It couldn’t be in greater contrast to the rest of my work and that’s a huge part of its appeal for me. I end up going to places I would choose to go and visit by myself, so the fact I get to do that as part of my job is a great privilege.
"But the thing I enjoy most about the day is the people. Up to 4,000 people will come and everyone has a story and wants to talk about the object they’ve brought. It’s endlessly fascinating and every week is surprising. There aren’t many jobs you can say that about when you’re into your 12th year. Every time I show up, it’s the joy of the unexpected."
Fiona Bruce: I was too tired to work for a whole year
