Anita Rani s approaching 50 on full throttle, and has absolutely no intention of slowing down.
The 48-year-old presenter remains full of energy, and struggles to "sit still" when deliberating all the possibilities the future could hold.
She's had a challenging few years, often speaking openly about divorce from her husband of 14 years in 2023, and the miscarriage she suffered during their time together.
Anita now speaks refreshingly about living alone, and being single and childless in her 40s - although she is very content with the path her life has taken, and now has a new partner.
She's recently launched a new podcast, Sisters of Defiance, which is a space for women to have "an hour-long conversation, structured around acts of defiance" with the presenter.
In conversation with The Times, Anita says her podcast "fills a space that doesn't exist," and the chats that take place inside her home show how female trail blazers and icons have refused to conform and have ignored the rules.
So far, Anita has chatted to Meera Syal, Emma Grede and Gisèle Pelicot, finding out more about their acts of rebellion and how they've disrupted the so-called plan.
Anita herself could easily be one of the women she interviews, always appearing keen to break the mould when it comes to the expectations society places on women.
Despite being happy in her relationships, Anita tells Fabulous magazine, "I don’t know how I feel [about getting married again]. I don’t feel like I need to live by convention."
Wanting to remain "fiercely independent" and feeling at home in her own company, the star explains, "I’m in quite a rad space," adding, "So I’m just going to live on my own. Not only is it liberating for me, I think it’s really important for other women to see."
Anita also challenges the notion that midlife women slow down as they age, and is excited to seek out and the make the most of any new opportunities life has.
"I’m hitting 50 and I still have an insane amount of energy," she says, adding, "I feel like that’s my pace."
Being a person who "struggles to sit still," she still wants to "learn the piano and to spend a month in India," among other things.
Always doing things her own way and referring to her podcast guests, she says, "I’ve worked my ass off. And now I’d rather do things for myself and the people I want to talk to. These are the stories I want to tell."
Speaking more about Sisters of Defiance on her Instagram page, Anita writes, "This has been a long time coming for me. The chance to build this space with total freedom, creating a community on my own terms."
"This is my own moment of defiance. For every former little girl who was told to sit quietly in the corner looking pretty: this one’s for you."
