Anthea Turner can’t imagine life without her stepdaughters.
The former ‘Blue Peter’ presenter will marry fiancé Mark Armstrong later this year with her ex-husband Grant Bovey’s daughters – Lily, 28, Amelia, 27, and Claudia, 23 – all set to be guests of honour on the big day, and after meeting them for the first time over two decades ago when they were kids, she was in no doubt she was in their lives for the long haul.
She told Closer magazine: "You’re not marrying one person and you have to get your head round that straight away. There’s another dimension to the relationship, and it’s there for keeps."
The 59-year-old star is very grateful they accepted her into their live – even staying in touch after she split from their father in 2015 after 15 years of marriage.
She added: "The girls are a beacon of light in my life and I love them. When you’re a step parent you appreciate it more – maybe because it’s not an ‘umbilical cord relationship’ and you’ve had to work at it.
"Now that I’m no longer married to their father, we’re in each other’s lives because we choose to be and that’s special."
The star – who was also previously wed to DJ Peter Powell – opened up on the moment Grant first told his girls he was splitting from their mother Della, and Anthea admitted the situation might have been tougher if they’d met her as teenagers.
She explained: "I remember Grant talking to the children about him slitting with their mum and they were very accepting. I think it was easier because they were so little. I’m sure if I’d been walking into a situation with teenage girls, it would have been different.
"It’s important the adults put aside their personal feelings. It’s the one thing Grant, Della and I did – we worked hard for the children because it’s all about them."
Anthea Turner can’t imagine life without stepdaughters
