Vanessa Feltz Celebrates TV Triumph After Heartbreak as Channel 5 Show Renewed and Award-Nominated

It has been a turbulent year for Vanessa Feltz, with her 15-year relationship to Ben Ofoedu ending after reports of infidelity, followed by his swift marriage to a woman he now calls “Vanessa 2.0”. But the 63-year-old broadcaster is finding joy again and says she feels ecstatic after her Channel 5 show Vanessa was given the green light for another year. On top of that, the show has also landed a nomination at the TV Choice Awards.

Speaking to the Daily Mail about the news, Vanessa didn’t hold back on her excitement. “Ecstatic! Euphoric! Pirouetting happily on Cloud 9,” she said.

Friends say she has been in high spirits since hearing the recommission, with TV insiders tipping her to scoop up some of the Loose Women audience when the daytime program cuts back from 52 weeks a year to just 30.

The nomination for the TV Choice Awards comes only months after Vanessa’s daily series bagged the prize for Best Talk Show at the National Television Awards in July, beating none other than The Graham Norton Show.

Considering her Channel 5 series only launched in March with a lunchtime slot between 12.45 and 1.45pm, it has been a rapid rise. Produced by ITN Productions, the same team behind Jeremy Vine’s hit show, Vanessa’s program has carved out a strong following in just a short time.

Her format is refreshingly straightforward. Viewers know her for her sharp takes and honest discussions, and she moves with ease between serious debates on relationships and parenting to lighter chatter about gossip and fashion. It is that mix that many believe has helped her become a regular fixture in households in such a short time.

Away from the studio lights, Vanessa has been navigating personal heartache. She had been with Ben Ofoedu, 53, for 17 years and they were once set to marry, but their engagement collapsed in 2023 when stories of his affairs surfaced.

Since then, Ben has remarried in a lavish £100,000 ceremony to aesthetics expert Vanessa Brown, who he affectionately nicknamed “Vanessa 2.0”. His remark stung many of Vanessa’s close friends, who say the speed of his new relationship was difficult to watch.

One friend told the Daily Mail: “Vanessa’s been really strong – he [Ben] might be an ex but she still has a heart that got broken – he didn’t hang about!” Others added that she has a strong circle of girlfriends determined to see her happy again, promising to help her find someone new when she is ready.

For now, Vanessa is pouring her energy into her career. Between a recommissioned show, industry recognition, and loyal friends rallying behind her, she seems to be embracing life with a fresh spark. Her fans are cheering her on too, many delighted to see her winning both professionally and personally after such a difficult year.

Vanessa may have been bruised by heartbreak, but with her name back in lights and awards season smiling in her direction, it feels like she has found the perfect way to remind everyone she is still very much at the top of her game.