Vanessa Feltz has recounted a perplexing encounter with King Charles, where his six-word response left her feeling both baffled and concerned. The 62-year-old radio presenter and former ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ contestant shared her experience with the monarch in her new book, ‘Vanessa Bears All’. During their initial meeting, King Charles asked typical questions like “How far have you come? Do you work nearby?” in a cordial manner.
However, their second encounter in 1994 took a different turn, with the king repeating Vanessa’s name multiple times without further explanation. Vanessa revealed, “I just thought, ‘What? What have I done anyway? What do you mean, for god’s sake?’ I couldn’t say that, of course! He wasn’t the king then, he was only Prince Charles.” Despite the passage of three decades, Vanessa remains unsure about the underlying message behind the king’s response.
Reflecting on her interactions with royalty, Vanessa also shared a fond memory of Sarah Ferguson, the then-Duchess of York. Vanessa recalled how Ferguson inadvertently kick-started her television career after Vanessa wrote an article about the toe-sucking scandal involving Ferguson and her ‘financial advisor’ John Bryan. The scandal, which made headlines and captured public interest, eventually led to Vanessa’s appearance on television show ‘This Morning’ with Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, marking the beginning of her successful television career.
Vanessa expressed her gratitude to Ferguson for inadvertently paving the way for her television journey. Following the scandal, Vanessa transitioned into television and has since become a prominent figure on ITV’s ‘This Morning’. The article she wrote about Ferguson’s toe-sucking incident served as a stepping stone for Vanessa’s television career, which continues to thrive to this day.
Vanessa’s encounters with royalty and her fortuitous television career beginnings underscore the unpredictable and unconventional paths that can lead to success in the entertainment industry. As Vanessa navigated through her interactions with members of the royal family, she found herself inadvertently propelled into a new chapter of her career, highlighting the serendipitous nature of opportunities in the media industry.