Fern Britton said the new chapter of her life has come "at the right time" but she doesn't want to be "the poster girl for separation" following her split from celebrity chef Phil Vickery after 20 years of marriage.
The former This Morning presenter and the TV chef announced the break-up of their marriage in January 2020, shortly after the death of her father, actor Tony Britton in December 2019.
At the age of 64, she said she is "not considering dating right now" as she is happy in her own company.
Britton, who is the August cover star of Prima magazine, said: "I haven’t been seeing anyone and nobody has approached me, which is nice, too.
"If someone came along who was lovely and kind and we didn’t have to live together, if he had his life and I had mine, that might be perfect.
"But on the other hand, life is pretty bloody perfect right now and I’m happy with my company, so meeting someone would simply be icing on the cake."
She added: "This new chapter has come at the right time for me.
"I don’t want to be the poster girl for separation, though, because a lot of people go through the same thing."
"Often, the children leave home and you look at each other and go, 'Ah, where do we go from here?’
"I only wish I was the sort of person who could have persevered through that, but I couldn’t."
The presenter encouraged those in a similar situation to "have courage" during this time.
She said: "Get yourself financially independent, so you have the opportunity not to have to rely on anybody for anything.
"We can’t rely on somebody for our own happiness, let alone to look after us and keep us housed. Then, if you find yourself in a situation where you’re at a crossroads, have courage."
Britton and Vickery met on the programme Ready Steady Cook and were married in 2000, following her split from Clive Jones.
Source: Press Association
