Anthea Turner says ‘sneering’ GMTV rivals left her feeling physically ill after Esther McVey ‘feud’ emerges
ANTHEA Turner has revealed how “sneering” colleagues made her feel “physically sick” while working as a presenter on GMTV. The telly star told how there was an “intensely hostile environment” on the breakfast show, which was the forerunner to Good Morning Britain. Her revelations come days after details of an apparent feud emerged between ITV’s […]
ANTHEA Turner has revealed how “sneering” colleagues made her feel “physically sick” while working as a presenter on GMTV.
The telly star told how there was an “intensely hostile environment” on the breakfast show, which was the forerunner to Good Morning Britain.
Her revelations come days after details of an apparent feud emerged between ITV’s Lorraine Kelly and Esther McVey, who both worked on the show 20 years ago.
Anthea, 59, revealed she was made to feel “inferior” when she moved to GMTV in 1994 after hosting Blue Peter for two years from 1992.
She told Best magazine she said: “When I arrived at GMTV, it was a terrible shock, because I’d come from Blue Peter – where everyone was nice to everyone! It was an intensely hostile environment.
“I used to feel physically sick some mornings – really nauseous at the idea of going in there.
“I was made to feel inferior, and was openly sneered.”
She claims she was targeted after being employed to counter-balance Eamonn Holmes and deal with lighter subjects such as soaps, music and film.
Anthea told how one established GMTV presenter only acknowledged her presence in the building after nine weeks.
She even claimed that one colleague joked about her not reading broadsheet newspaper.
“One day, I was sat on the sofa ready to go on air and The Telegraph newspaper was on the coffee table in front of me,” Anthea said.
“A colleague walked past and picked it up, and she said, ‘Sorry, Anthea, were you reading this? Oh no, you don’t read the big ones, do you?’”
But the 59-year-old made it clear she wasn’t referring to either Lorraine or McVey when speaking of the hostile environment.
McVey was sensationally snubbed by ITV presenter Lorraine live on air last week, sparking an unlikely feud.
Lorraine, 59, appeared to give McVey, 51, the cold shoulder during a handover from Good Morning Britain hosts Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid.
Susanna said: “Do you remember Esther McVey from her GMTV days?”
Lorraine replied: “Yep. Yes I do. Right, coming up after half past eight.”
The public bust-up resurfaced on Wednesday when LBC radio presenter Iain Dale grilled McVey about the daytime TV star, who she worked with at ITV in the 1990s.
Dale said: “What on earth did you do to Lorraine Kelly?”
McVey replied: “I don’t know! I had a very fun time at GMTV.”
She hinted Lorraine may be jealous of her political career – suggesting their feud is down to the ITV presenter’s envy while she was bidding for Number 10.
McVey also claimed it could have been due to her being promoted to work with Eamonn Holmes.
McVey said: “She used to be on the programme afterwards and obviously she used to be partnered with Eamonn Holmes and then I was promoted to be partnering with Eamonn Holmes.”
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“But she’s great and it was a great show, and I can’t believe it was 20 years ago, but never mind, it was really good at the time, really good fun.”
Lorraine then shot down her claims while speaking to Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid once again.
She said: “There is no battle. I’m baffled, because I had my own show since 1992, and I don’t actually think she joined until five years later.”
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