Anthea Turner's mum has died aged 91.
Anthea Turner's mum has died aged 91
The 61-year-old TV presenter took to Instagram to reveal the devastating news that her mother, Jean Millicent Turner, passed away from pneumonia last week.
She wrote: "Hello,
Thank you for all your Insta good wishes to my Mum, sadly at 91 pneumonia took its hold and despite the amazing efforts of Nurses and Doctors at Royal Stoke University Hospital we said goodbye to her last week.
So terribly sad but how grateful am I too have had Mum in my life for nearly 62 years."
Anthea co-hosted children's TV magazine show 'Blue Peter' from 1992 until 1994, and she doesn't think she would've passed her audition if her mum hadn't prepared her to be "handy with scissors and glue".
She added: "I don’t believe people just die their spirit lives on and if you look, you’ll find it. When I was much younger, I’d have railed against this but, I am my mother’s daughter and on reflection I’m ticking off a long list of thank yous for the lessons she’s taught me.
They begin with basic manners, table etiquette was high on her agenda, then skills, I’m not sure I’d have passed my Blue Peter audition if she hadn’t made me handy with scissors glue. Mum didn’t relish cooking, but she could bake and my apple pie is a homage to her pastry skills. Only when she became ill a few years ago did I ever see her without makeup, she never wore jeans, anything with a logo and if at home was always ‘front door ready’ in case someone popped in. Mum disliked physical pursuits, had a fear of moths, water and heights, so as a pesky child, taught never to cheek your elders my revenge was climb the tallest tree in the garden and watch the colour drain from her face. But it was her unwavering support for my efforts I can’t thank her enough for. Mum attended Whitlands Collage Rohampton, founded by the Church of England’s National Society as a teaching collage for women and she later used her degree to teach English and RE in various secondary schools. So how did she deal with her dyslexic unacademic daughter? Well, Mum instead of concentrating on what I couldn’t do quietly pushed me towards things I could and like a slight of hand magician (with no spell check to fall back on) I learnt every trick in the book to keep people away from my little problem. I often hear when someone dies a loved one say “They’ve left a hole in their heart” but I don’t feel that because Mum packed it with so much. Since the early 80’s we’ve lived miles apart but what’s strange is she feels closer to me today than she’s ever been - RIP Mum and we’re all looking after Dad @uhnm.nhs (sic)"
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