Gloria Hunniford has written a new book that champions grandparents everywhere, but is also a tribute to her late daughter, Caron. The RTÉ Guide’s Donal O’Donoghue meets her.
Even in a bustling hotel foyer, Gloria Hunniford is easily spotted. Wrapped up in a designer coat, the 70-year-old broadcaster gleams with the sheen that only good genes, and money can bring. A glamorous grandmother to nine children, including five step-grandchildren by her second husband, Stephen, she attributes the secret of her youthfulness to a full life. "My mother used to say to me, you have years ahead of you to do nothing, so get up off that chair," she says. "Now every time I’m sitting around I have my mother in my head telling me to get up and do something."
The indomitable Hunniford’s latest projects include another series of the consumer show, 'Rip Off Britain', and a new book, 'Glorious Grandparenting'. The latter is part memoir, part manual: the story of her life as a mother and grandmother punctuated with grandparents’ tales from the frontline. It begins with the celebrations for her eldest grandson Charlie’s, 16th birthday but the joy is underscored by an absence. Six years ago Charlie’s mother, and Gloria’s daughter, Caron died from cancer at the age of 41. The TV presenter ('Blue Peter', 'This Morning') had battled cancer for seven years and Hunniford documented that time in her books, 'Next to You' and 'Always With You'. Her latest publication continues the legacy.
"When you lose a child you know that life will never be the same again," she says. "You also know that you will never be exactly the same person because you never can be. But sometimes you are stronger and have greater empathy for people. That’s how it changes you." There’s a real warmth to the Ulsterwoman and when a number of people drop by during this conversation, she doesn’t miss a beat in embracing them. Such motherly, and grand motherly, affection is also apparent in 'Glorious Grandparenting', an attempt to repatriate grandparents from the fringes by championing their rights and the crucial role they play in the family unit.
Hunniford, named after the Hollywood legend Gloria Swanson, grew up near Portadown, County Armagh in a close-knit family. It was a time when children only spoke when spoken to, but Gloria was a young teen rebel. "Oh yes," she says. "My dad ruled the house. It was a case of 'no wife of mine will have to go out to work' and 'my word is law'. But around the table I would always argue the toss and would get these looks from my mother to keep quiet." More than once she ran away from home, but only as far as her granny’s. "It would happen after some silly row and I’d think I’ll go to Granny Hunniford because she’ll spoil me."
Now she spends much of her time spoiling her grandchildren, including a trip to New York and a Broadway show. Unfortunately Granny Hunniford had forgotten quite how much hair was on show in Hair. "All these dangly bits were all over the stage," she says and laughs. At one point, in mid-performance, her eldest grandchild leaned over and whispered in her ear: "Nana, it’s a bit of a racy show to take your grandchildren to." But Hunniford believes that life is stitched together from such memories. "When I’m dead and gone I want my grandchildren to be saying 'do you remember the time granny took us to that nude show?'"
After the death of her daughter, Hunniford was determined to carry on, helping to found the charity, the Caron Keating Foundation with her sons, Paul and Michael. "The flashes of anger that I have are more now than then, strangely enough," she says. "I made a positive effort not to get angry at the time because where does that get you? Are you going to get angry at God? Are you going to get angry at cancer? Sometimes when I realise that she is missing out on all these landmark occasions it’s a cross between frustration and anger. On Charlie’s 16th birthday I thought that Caron should have been there to see it all."
Still she soldiers on, the Ulster work ethic impelling her ever forward.
"Ageism hasn’t caught up with me yet," she says. "I still have an appetite for the work and I still love it. I cheered the day that David Cameron encouraged everyone to work on. I was brought up to work and I have always worked. I have been in this game since I was eight really, and never had a sabbatical. Everyday I meet new people and learn about new subjects and I find that so stimulating. I try and pack as much as I can into every day and that mantra comes from my dad. Especially since Caron has died I live every second of the day now. Life can be very fragile."
Donal O’Donoghue
Glorious Grandparenting by Gloria Hunniford is published by Vermilion.
The Caron Keating Foundation is at www.caronkeating.org
