Lowri Turner
Encyclopedia
Lowri Gwyneth Turner is a British
television presenter, journalist, nutritional therapist and hypnotherapist.
, Turner was born to Welsh parents Mervyn and Shirley in London, England in 1964. She was one of triplets and her mother had a traumatic birth resulting in her sister having a learning disability. She has been married twice and has three children. She has two children, Merlin (b.2000) and Griffin (b.2003) with her first husband Paul Connew
, and one daughter Ariel (b.2007) with second husband Nicol Batra from whom she is also divorced.
and became Fashion Editor at the London Evening Standard.
Her television career started on GMTV
in 1993. Turner was a contributor to Thirty Years in the TARDIS, a documentary celebration of the 30th anniversary of Doctor Who
in 1993, in which she discussed the Edwardian feel to the Doctor's costumes and her fondness for Jon Pertwee
's portrayal of the character. She made appearances as a celebrity panelist on BBC2's quiz show Going, Going, Gone (TV series)
, Channels 4's Whose Line Is It Anyway and has presented the shows Looking Good , Shopping City, Housecall
, Would Like To Meet
and DIY SOS
.
In 2004, Turner took part in the reality TV show, Celebrity Fit Club
but, despite this, she still at times struggles with her weight.
She has been a regular panelist on the Channel Five show, The Wright Stuff
since 2002, delighting in describing herself as a "hard working mother" and seeking to climb the moral high ground on any number of topics.
Turner writes a column for the Welsh newspaper Western Mail.
Turner describes herself as a Nutritional Therapist citing a 'Diploma in Nutritional Therapy' purchased from the "Institute for Optimum Nutrition", which describes itself as a "an independent, not for profit educational charity". ION's founder's only qualification is the diploma he awarded to himself, and courses currently have no academic accreditation. The three year diploma course costs £3500.00 for the first year alone. She also states that she is a trained hypnotherapist. On her web site, VaVoomHealth, she declares that her ability to help is because "For the last 20 years, I’ve been a journalist, writing for newspapers and magazines, including the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, Evening Standard. The Observer, The Guardian, Grazia and Top Sante. I also appear regularly on TV and radio, including Woman’s Hour, The Wright Stuff and BBC Breakfast.".
She adds that "My journalistic expertise means I am a sceptic. I am not interested in any sort of airy fairy, stick a candle in your ear and say ‘Om…’ malarkey. I will not tell you to eat fennel twig tea and brush the soles of your feet anti-clockwise with an organic loofah." In the future she hopes to engage in relationship counselling, drawing on her own extensive experiences.
Gwenda Thomas, chair of the Welsh Assembly's equality committee, said
Turner was further criticized in 2007, for an article she wrote in the Daily Mail
newspaper. Some claimed her piece, about her newborn daughter who is of mixed race, was racist.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
television presenter, journalist, nutritional therapist and hypnotherapist.
Personal life
Educated at Addey and Stanhope SchoolAddey and Stanhope School
Addey and Stanhope School is a voluntary-aided, co-educational secondary school, located in Lewisham, London, UK. A former grammar school, with origins dating to 1606, Addey and Stanhope became a specialist science and technology school in 2006. The school is also part of the Crossways Federation,...
, Turner was born to Welsh parents Mervyn and Shirley in London, England in 1964. She was one of triplets and her mother had a traumatic birth resulting in her sister having a learning disability. She has been married twice and has three children. She has two children, Merlin (b.2000) and Griffin (b.2003) with her first husband Paul Connew
Paul Connew
Paul Connew is a British former newspaper editor.Born in Coventry, Connew attended King Henry VIII Grammar School. He entered journalism with the Coventry Evening Telegraph, then moved to the Coventry Express, and then up to London to work for the Daily Mirror...
, and one daughter Ariel (b.2007) with second husband Nicol Batra from whom she is also divorced.
Work
Turner began her career as a fashion journalist for The ObserverThe Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
and became Fashion Editor at the London Evening Standard.
Her television career started on GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
in 1993. Turner was a contributor to Thirty Years in the TARDIS, a documentary celebration of the 30th anniversary of Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
in 1993, in which she discussed the Edwardian feel to the Doctor's costumes and her fondness for Jon Pertwee
Jon Pertwee
John Devon Roland Pertwee , was an English actor. Pertwee is best known for his role in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, in which he played the third incarnation of the Doctor from 1970 to 1974, and as the title character in the series Worzel Gummidge...
's portrayal of the character. She made appearances as a celebrity panelist on BBC2's quiz show Going, Going, Gone (TV series)
Going, Going, Gone (TV series)
Going, Going, Gone was an antiques quiz show in the UK during the 1990s, which was shown on BBC Two and which was produced by BBC Scotland in Glasgow. The show ran from 16 October 1995 to 11 March 1998, and aired 144 programmes...
, Channels 4's Whose Line Is It Anyway and has presented the shows Looking Good , Shopping City, Housecall
Housecall
A housecall, or house call, is an act of customer service where the service provider goes to the consumer's home, rather than the consumer visiting the supplier's place of business....
, Would Like To Meet
Would Like To Meet
Would Like To Meet is a British reality television dating series, first broadcast on BBC 2 in 2001. Presented by Lowri Turner, it featured relationship expert Tracey Cox, confidence coach Steven Anderson and celebrity stylist Jay Hunt, who each used their expertise to help a singleton find a date....
and DIY SOS
DIY SOS
DIY SOS is a British DIY television series made for the BBC, presented by Nick Knowles. The first episode was broadcast on 7 October 1999 and the show is still aired today...
.
In 2004, Turner took part in the reality TV show, Celebrity Fit Club
Celebrity Fit Club
Celebrity Fit Club is a reality television series that follows eight overweight celebrities as they try to lose weight for charity. Split into two competing teams of four, each week teams are given different physical challenges, and weighed to see if they reached their target weights...
but, despite this, she still at times struggles with her weight.
She has been a regular panelist on the Channel Five show, The Wright Stuff
The Wright Stuff
The Wright Stuff is a British television chat show, hosted by Matthew Wright, and currently airing on Channel 5 each weekday morning from 9:15 to 11:10am....
since 2002, delighting in describing herself as a "hard working mother" and seeking to climb the moral high ground on any number of topics.
Turner writes a column for the Welsh newspaper Western Mail.
Turner describes herself as a Nutritional Therapist citing a 'Diploma in Nutritional Therapy' purchased from the "Institute for Optimum Nutrition", which describes itself as a "an independent, not for profit educational charity". ION's founder's only qualification is the diploma he awarded to himself, and courses currently have no academic accreditation. The three year diploma course costs £3500.00 for the first year alone. She also states that she is a trained hypnotherapist. On her web site, VaVoomHealth, she declares that her ability to help is because "For the last 20 years, I’ve been a journalist, writing for newspapers and magazines, including the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, Evening Standard. The Observer, The Guardian, Grazia and Top Sante. I also appear regularly on TV and radio, including Woman’s Hour, The Wright Stuff and BBC Breakfast.".
She adds that "My journalistic expertise means I am a sceptic. I am not interested in any sort of airy fairy, stick a candle in your ear and say ‘Om…’ malarkey. I will not tell you to eat fennel twig tea and brush the soles of your feet anti-clockwise with an organic loofah." In the future she hopes to engage in relationship counselling, drawing on her own extensive experiences.
Controversies
In 2006 Turner was criticized in the Welsh Assembly over homophobic comments she wrote in her column in the Western Mail entitled However much I love my gay friends, I don't want them running the countryGwenda Thomas, chair of the Welsh Assembly's equality committee, said
.
Homophobia, together with all other forms of prejudice, is unacceptable in any modern, democratic, civilised society, and it is therefore disappointing to say the least that an article that promotes such attitudes appeared in a newspaper that purports to be 'the national newspaper for Wales. She is disgusting in her views.
Turner was further criticized in 2007, for an article she wrote in the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
newspaper. Some claimed her piece, about her newborn daughter who is of mixed race, was racist.