Most people know Anthea Turner as one of Britain’s most recognisable television personalities.
From Blue Peter and Top of the Pops to breakfast television and some of the biggest entertainment programmes of the 1980s and 1990s, she has spent decades in the public eye.
What fewer people know is that her latest chapter has nothing to do with television.
Instead, Turner is building a rapidly growing skincare business that started with just 100 pots of product and a simple Instagram post. Today, By Anthea is shipping thousands of orders and attracting industry awards, proving that reinvention is possible at any stage of life.
Speaking with host Ollie Barrett during an engaging fireside chat at Elite Business Live 2026, Turner shared a refreshingly honest account of entrepreneurship, personal branding, confidence and the realities of starting something completely new.
Her point was unmistakable: The most successful people are rarely those who stand still.
Reinvention isn’t a choice. It’s a necessity
When Barrett asked whether there had been a common thread throughout her varied career, Turner pointed to a simple but powerful word.
“It’s called necessity.”
For Turner, reinvention is not about chasing trends or constantly changing direction. It is about recognising when a chapter has ended and being willing to start a new one.
Drawing on a conversation she had recently heard about workers over 50 struggling to find employment, Turner challenged the idea of clinging to past identities.
“You have to move. You have to think, I have a skill set. Where am I going to place it now?”
Rather than trying to recreate the careers we once had, she argued that people should focus on transferring their knowledge into new opportunities.
One of the strongest analogies from the session was her description of life as a book.
“We’re very good at thumbing through the back pages, but sometimes we’re not editing and embracing what’s in front of us.”
It was a reminder that growth often comes from accepting change rather than resisting it.
Building a business from passion, not a business plan
Unlike many founders who spend years planning their launch, Turner admitted that By Anthea emerged organically.
The idea grew from a long-standing fascination with the beauty industry and frustration with what she saw as misleading marketing claims.
Her goal was simple… Create products that were honest about what they could and could not do. “There are a lot of fibs in the beauty industry. Some would say downright lies.”
Rather than promising miracle transformations, Turner focused on transparency.
“This is what it will do. This is what it won’t do.”
The business itself began through an unlikely encounter. Her business partner, Vicky, happened to meet a chemistry teacher whose true passion was creating skincare formulations. One conversation led to another, products were tested, and eventually they decided to manufacture just 100 pots and see what happened.
The result surprised everyone. “I popped it on my Instagram, and they went literally in 24 hours.”
That initial success created the confidence to produce more. Then more again. What started as an experiment became a genuine business.
Why finding your tribe matters more than finding customers
One of the most interesting parts of the conversation centred on community.
Turner repeatedly referred not to customers or followers, but to her “tribe”.
Social media, she explained, transformed her relationship with audiences.
For much of her television career, communication was one-directional. Viewers watched her on screen, but there was little opportunity for meaningful dialogue but Instagram changed that!
Through direct messages, comments and conversations, Turner developed a far deeper understanding of the women buying her products.
“I know exactly the woman who wants my products.”
That understanding has shaped everything from product development to customer experience.
Rather than guessing what customers might want, Turner actively listens to them.
In fact, many future products now in development came directly from customer conversations and requests.
The most powerful example came when she organised an afternoon tea event for customers. Women travelled from across the UK to attend. Seeing them together in one room was, she admitted, an emotional moment.
“I sort of wanted to cry just in happiness looking at them. Because they were just us.”
For founders searching for growth, the lesson was obvious.
The closer you are to your customers, the easier it becomes to build products they genuinely want.
Personalisation is still the ultimate competitive advantage
Long before social media existed, Turner learned a lesson that continues to shape her business today, and it came from Blue Peter.
She recalled how every letter sent by a child received a personalised response rather than a standardised reply. Presenters would spend hours signing cards and ensuring children felt acknowledged individually.
That experience taught her something many businesses still overlook. People want to feel seen. “They didn’t get a standard letter back.”
Today, that same philosophy runs through By Anthea. Customers receive personal interactions, individual responses and a level of attention that many larger brands struggle to provide.
In a world increasingly dominated by automation and AI, Turner believes personalisation remains a powerful differentiator.
Awards matter more than entrepreneurs think
When asked what had made her particularly proud during the business journey, Turner pointed to industry awards. Her advice to business owners was unequivocal… Enter them.
“They do mean something.”
Awards provide external validation, boost credibility and create opportunities to showcase achievements to customers and prospects.
Whether you’re a global brand or a local service business, Turner argued that recognition can have a meaningful impact on confidence, morale and commercial growth.
It’s advice that resonated strongly with the Elite Business audience, many of whom are founders navigating their own growth journeys.
Confidence isn’t something you’re born with
One of the most relatable moments came when the discussion turned to confidence.
Turner has spent decades presenting to millions of viewers, yet she openly admitted to experiencing self doubt and imposter syndrome.
Her approach to confidence is practical rather than motivational. “Confidence is the key to life.”
But confidence, she explained, is not about arrogance. It is about carrying yourself with quiet belief.
For Turner, that means standing tall, smiling and reminding yourself that you belong in the room.
And when confidence disappears?
Her solution is surprisingly simple. “I shut the door, and I clean.” While unconventional, her reasoning makes sense. Taking productive action creates momentum. Completing a task restores a sense of control.
Sometimes progress begins with doing something small rather than sitting still.
The power of personal brand
Audience questions led naturally into a discussion about personal branding.
As the face of her business, Turner believes authenticity is non-negotiable.
“You have to embody the brand. Be the brand.”
For entrepreneurs, particularly sole traders and founder-led businesses, she argued that personal brand is often inseparable from business brand.
You are the marketing department.
You are the shop window.
You are the public relations function.
And because of that, how you present yourself matters.
Interestingly, Turner admitted that selling her own products initially felt far more uncomfortable than promoting someone else’s.
Despite decades in broadcasting, she struggled with the idea of talking about something carrying her own name. Over time, however, she learned to embrace it.
“This is mine. I own this. I have created this. I am passionate about this.” It was a reminder that confidence often follows action rather than preceding it.
The advice every young entrepreneur needs to hear
As the session drew to a close, Turner was asked what advice she would give younger generations entering the workforce or considering entrepreneurship. Her answer was refreshingly old fashioned. Talk to people!
“Talk, talk, talk, talk. Meet people. Get chatting.”
In a world dominated by emails, WhatsApp messages and social media, she worries that genuine human interaction is becoming increasingly rare. Yet some of the biggest opportunities in her own life and business have come through conversations.
A chance meeting at a school gate.
A conversation with a customer.
An afternoon tea event.
A direct message.
For Turner, relationships remain the foundation of both business success and personal growth.
Starting again
While the session was billed as a conversation about reinvention and career evolution, it ultimately became something deeper.
Anthea Turner’s story is not really about television, skincare or even entrepreneurship. It is about remaining curious enough to start again.
Her journey from household television presenter to founder demonstrates that reinvention is not reserved for start-ups, graduates or twenty-somethings. It is available to anyone willing to embrace change, listen to their customers and keep turning the page.
As Turner reminded the audience, life moves forward whether we like it or not. The question is whether we’re prepared to move with it.
