After Dinner Speakers: Anthea Turner, Suzanne Vega, Billy Ocean

Anthea's first job in the media was as a record librarian at Signal Radio in Stoke. But she soon moved in front of the mike, as a traffic reporter. Her first job on television came in 1986 when she joined Sky Channel, presenting live music programmes. A stint on BBC1's But First This and the Saturday morning children's programme UP2U followed. She then spent three years fronting Top of the Pops as well as The Best of Magic for ITV. Then she was snapped up to present Blue Peter, when the popular Yvette Fielding left after five years with the show. After two great years with Blue Peter during which time she became queen of the Tracey Island make, Anthea left for a million a year contract with GMTV. Anthea soon became one of TV's golden girls. Spots on BBC1's National Lottery Live and ITV's Wish You Were Here? meant that she was rarely off our screens. 1996 was a good year for Anthea. She won the Royal Variety Club of Great Britain Showbusiness Personality of the Year award and was named BBC Personality of the Year. But off-screen the backlash had begun. Attention focused on the end of her marriage to her agent Peter Powell rather than her career. Then came the infamous 'Flake-gate' scandal, when it was alleged that Anthea and her new partner Grant Bovey had accepted payment to be shown eating a chocolate bar during their wedding. An appearance on the first celebrity Big Brother failed to quell the backlash. Recently, Anthea has concentrated on an alternative career as a charity fundraiser and events co-ordinator, raising lots of money for such organisations as the Chase Children's Hospice.