{"id":35394,"date":"2023-01-14T21:30:31","date_gmt":"2023-01-14T22:30:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/?p=35394"},"modified":"2023-01-14T22:40:34","modified_gmt":"2023-01-14T22:40:34","slug":"i-date-multiple-men-no-strings-attached-and-it-makes-me-happy-but-i-wont-slide-into-dms-says-carol-vorderman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/2023\/01\/14\/i-date-multiple-men-no-strings-attached-and-it-makes-me-happy-but-i-wont-slide-into-dms-says-carol-vorderman\/","title":{"rendered":"I date multiple men, no-strings attached and it makes me happy \u2013 but I won\u2019t slide into DMs, says Carol Vorderman"},"content":{"rendered":"

CAROL VORDERMAN is not your typical 60-something woman.  <\/p>\n

With her long blonde hair, curves that would turn Kim K green with envy, and barely a wrinkle in sight, some might even say she\u2019s growing old disgracefully.<\/p>\n

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\"Carol<\/a><\/p>\n

7<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

Carol Vorderman, now 62, is not your typical woman as she opens up about ageing and her thoughts on relationships<\/span>Credit: Mark Hayman<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

7<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

The ex-Countdown star, who first came to the public eye over 40 years ago, has transformed herself into a confident sex bomb<\/span>Credit: Mark Hayman<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But comments like this infuriate her. <\/p>\n

She sighs: \u201cI don\u2019t understand why my behaviour should change just because I\u2019m getting older. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere are people dancing away at 87 and having a good time. They\u2019re not harming anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carol first came to the public eye over 40 years ago on Channel 4 quiz show Countdown as a shy 21 year old. <\/p>\n

But over the years, she has transformed herself into the confident sex bomb currently<\/a> squeezing herself into various latex numbers for our cover shoot today.<\/p>\n

And chatting to her, it becomes clear why she is sticking two fingers up to common attitudes around ageing.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy generation was told: \u2018Get married as soon as you can,\u2019 and: \u2018Find somebody who could look after you.\u2019 <\/p>\n

\u201cAt my 18th birthday, my mum Jean<\/a> said: \u2018It\u2019s about time you settle down. You need to get married within the year. <\/p>\n

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Most read in Celebrity<\/h3>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cYour sister is 26, she\u2019s on the shelf.\u2019 She was serious \u2013 and it was not unusual.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Carol<\/a><\/p>\n

7<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

Carol got married, at the age of 24, to Christopher Mather, a Royal Navy officer, but the marriage only lasted a year<\/span>Credit: Shutterstock Editorial <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\"She<\/a><\/p>\n

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She then tied the knot again, to Patrick King, in 1990 and had two children with him – Katie, 30, and Cameron, 25 – before separating in 2000<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But Carol, now 62, wasn\u2019t about to get hitched. At that point, she was already one year into a degree in engineering at Cambridge University \u2013 eventually graduating with a master\u2019s<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s one of the things I am most proud of \u2013 going from free school meals in a comprehensive in Wales to Cambridge a year early. It was unheard of. So I had this incredible opportunity, but the whole thing was: \u2018Get married\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was growing up, it was all: \u2018Women shouldn\u2019t wear this.\u2019 \u2018Don\u2019t have long hair when you\u2019re 42.\u2019 Obviously I fought against those rules all my life. <\/p>\n

\u201cI love seeing how younger generations, like my girl [Carol\u2019s daughter Katie<\/a>, who graduated from Cambridge herself last year with a PhD in nanotechnology and has been studying at the International Space University in France] have a million more opportunities than I ever did.\u201d<\/p>\n

‘It\u2019s b*****ks’<\/h2>\n

Carol did get married, at the age of 24, to Christopher Mather<\/a>, a Royal Navy officer, but the marriage only lasted a year. <\/p>\n

She then tied the knot again, to management consultant Patrick King<\/a>, in 1990. <\/p>\n

They had two children together, Katie, 30, and Cameron<\/a>, 25, before separating in 2000.  <\/p>\n

She has had some longer-term relationships<\/a> since, but these days Carol says she\u2019s enjoying a \u201cfreer\u201d way of dating<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u201cEvery romcom tells women to look for love and live happily ever after,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all nonsense. We sell every little girl the message: \u2018Cinderella needs a prince to save her.\u2019 Yet half of marriages end in divorce. <\/p>\n

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\"Carol<\/a><\/p>\n

7<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

Carol says ‘We sell every little girl the message: \u2018Cinderella needs a prince to save her.\u2019 Yet half of marriages end in divorce’<\/span>Credit: Mark Hayman<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI get frustrated when women are told to find a man. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s b*****ks, because the goal is not to be in love, the goal is to be happy. <\/p>\n

\u201cI want to be able to genuinely say: \u2018I love my life.\u2019 And I can say that. So I don\u2019t need to be validated by this nonsense. Love comes in many forms. <\/p>\n

“A lot of people can make you happy, whether that\u2019s your best mate, your kids, brothers and sisters, friends or male friends. Being alone does not make you lonely \u2013 the two sentiments are often confused.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a great believer that you live life in chapters. <\/p>\n

\u201cI was married for 10 years, and we were both so happy. And then in the last six months, we weren\u2019t and we got divorced. <\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t see my marriage as a failure. So I\u2019m in a new chapter that\u2019s been going on for 10 years now.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the past decade, Carol has been having \u201cno-strings-attached\u201d relationships with multiple men and believes many of her peers are doing similar but simply feel too much shame to admit it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am a great proponent that if women choose to not get married or they want to be with someone for a limited period of time, they can now,\u201d she explains. <\/p>\n

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I am a great proponent that if women choose to not get married or they want to be with someone for a limited period of time, they can now.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s your choice if you have a boyfriend or you don\u2019t. <\/p>\n

\u201cI might have a boyfriend who only lasts a few months. I call them \u2018special friends\u2019. People may have other terms for them [laughs]!<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I\u2019m happy living my life that way. The people involved are also very happy about it. That\u2019s between us, it\u2019s nothing at all to do with anybody else. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe first rule is: do no harm, so for me that means only single people, obviously.<\/p>\n

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\"Carol<\/a><\/p>\n

7<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

Carol first appeared on TV as a shy 21 year old on Countdown<\/span>Credit: Shutterstock Editorial <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIn the past, you\u2019d be called horrible words as a woman. A man is a \u2018player\u2019, but there is no female equivalent word. So I\u2019ve made one up. I call it \u2018Boada\u2019, which is like [ancient warrior queen] Boadicea. <\/p>\n

“I\u2019m not going to tell you all the details, but one of my \u2018friendships\u2019 has gone on for 11 years. And I have one \u2018special friend\u2019 in America. Sliding into DMs is not how I operate, but if people want to do that, that\u2019s up to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

She\u2019s clear, too, that choosing to live this life should hold no shame. \u201cI have a very full, happy, exciting and adventurous life. And it makes me laugh every day. It\u2019s ridiculous and it\u2019s fantastic. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think many people are living that life but are too frightened to say. There are a lot of fresh divorcees coming into their 50s and the majority wouldn\u2019t want to get married again. <\/p>\n

“They\u2019d say: \u2018Maybe I\u2019d like someone, maybe a few people. I didn\u2019t know I wanted to do this, but I want to explore this now.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

‘Make the bloody most of it’<\/h2>\n

As well as romantic engagements, Carol admits she has lots of male friends for other activities and shared interests. \u201cI go paddleboarding. I love horse racing. <\/p>\n

“One of my friends is an astronaut. So I have a lot of friends, not just \u2018special friends\u2019. There are so many different elements to my life. I\u2019ve found in the past that when I\u2019ve been in a \u2018traditional\u2019 relationship, it restricted my life. <\/p>\n

“It\u2019s been: \u2018You should be interested in what I\u2019m interested in.\u2019 Now I can make a decision and I don\u2019t have to check in with anybody.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her change of attitude has come from getting older and taking stock of how she wants to spend the time she has left \u2013 and who she wants to spend it with.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe question everyone should ask themselves when they get to a certain age is: \u2018How old do you think you will be when you die?\u2019 There\u2019s a switch that flicks in your 50s where you go: \u2018Right, I\u2019d better make the bloody most of it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

She is, though, surely one of the fittest 62 year olds around. \u201cI regard myself as the luckiest woman in the world,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m healthy. I\u2019ve looked after my health for decades.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carol is a regular attendee at Juicy Retreats\u2019 wellness and detox breaks held in the UK and Europe \u2013 she has a visit planned this month \u2013 and is also a big fan of walking. But what is the secret to her unbelievable body?<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s to just keep doing something. I\u2019ve been doing hyperbaric oxygen therapy. I sit in an oxygen chamber under pressure. It\u2019s brilliant. I have my bloods checked. <\/p>\n

“Obviously I have to pay for all of this. I watch what I eat. When I did my first detox, it was slated by nutritionists, but now intermittent fasting is an accepted thing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m post-menopause, but I do advise women to get their thyroid<\/a> checked, as it controls a lot of things in your body.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carol is thrilled that speaking about the menopause<\/a> is no longer taboo since she first opened up about it years ago. It\u2019s terrifically important that we are talking about it,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

\u201cNothing fazes me now, but for women who don\u2019t have as much confidence, they need to know there are other women out there feeling the same. Particularly the generation behind me. They were told to accept everything in life.\u201d<\/p>\n

While many speculate her flawless skin is down to a nip and tuck, she says it was pal Kelly Brook who helped her find her skincare secret.<\/p>\n

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\"Carol<\/a><\/p>\n

7<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

Carol says her goal is not to be in love but to be happy<\/span>Credit: Mark Hayman<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t like filler at all,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

\u201cYears ago I tried it and it just doesn\u2019t suit me. People always ask: \u2018What have you done to your skin?\u2019 Well, I use a thing called P3 treatment, which Kelly recommended. <\/p>\n

“A Pico laser opens up millions of tiny holes under the skin called vacuoles, then it takes your blood and it mixes the plasma. And it\u2019s like half and half and then injects it almost in your hairline. It\u2019s almost like champagne going under your skin. You feel it fizzing.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Nothing fazes me now, but for women who don\u2019t have as much confidence, they need to know there are other women out there feeling the same.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Talk of avoiding wrinkles comes back to the pressure on women to age in a certain way. Does Carol think there is too much emphasis on women looking perfect? <\/p>\n

\u201cStriving for perfection is very restrictive. I don\u2019t care what other people think, because I know who I am. I\u2019ve got the biggest heart. <\/p>\n

“I have a good social conscience. I help a lot of kids with The Maths Factor [Carol\u2019s online maths resource]. We made it free of charge during lockdown. We lost money, but that is the nature of who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carol\u2019s latest project is her new podcast Perfect 10. The multi-platform series is released daily and made up of 10 quick questions designed to entertain, educate\u2026 and irritate.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m genuinely very excited about it,\u201d she says. \u201cYou do 10 questions and get the answers there and then. It\u2019s the same format every day. It\u2019s not like The Chase or Mastermind. Everyone can play and it doesn\u2019t take long. They\u2019re all doable.\u201d <\/p>\n

Of course, Carol showed off her maths brain for years on Countdown. So when Anne Robinson<\/a> stepped down from hosting the show in July last year, many fans hoped she might return, before Colin Murray<\/a> took over the role.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to Countdown, my name always gets thrown into the ring. But although it\u2019s the same format, it\u2019s a different show now. I just cherish what we had. It was 26 years, 23 of them with His Lordship [Richard Whiteley<\/a>]. <\/p>\n

“We laughed and had the best time. It was only ever joyous. Then Richard died very suddenly [in 2005 after a heart operation, aged 61] and I don\u2019t think it\u2019s ever been the same since. <\/p>\n

“But everything moves on and I wish them all the best. I don\u2019t think there\u2019s anything in the future for me there, but who knows? <\/p>\n

“I\u2019m not saying never. That\u2019s one thing that you learn as you get older: you just don\u2019t know what the hell\u2019s going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Shoppers<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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With Carol, it sounds like anything really could. <\/p>\n

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  • Perfect 10 With Carol Vorderman is available on YouTube and all podcast platforms now.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
    \n

    In the make-up chair with Carol<\/h3>\n
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    \"\"<\/div>\n
    \n

    What are your skincare heroes?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    I use One Truth 818. It\u2019s made in New Zealand and has an anti-ageing molecule in it. It\u2019s a wonderful moisturiser.<\/p>\n

    Any make-up bag essentials?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Charlotte Tilbury Tinted SPF and Pat McGrath Eyeliner in Coal. <\/p>\n

    Do you have any beauty tips? <\/strong><\/p>\n

    Oh god, no one should take beauty tips from me!<\/p>\n

    Who\u2019s your beauty icon? <\/strong><\/p>\n

    I\u2019ve loved Sophia Loren my whole life. She\u2019s the most beautiful woman. The only one to rival her is Maya Jama \u2013 I love to see her doing well.<\/p>\n

    What\u2019s your budget buy? <\/strong><\/p>\n

    L\u2019Or\u00e9al Paris Eye Make-up Remover.<\/p>\n

    Describe your beauty evolution <\/strong><\/p>\n

    I love being a scruff and I love tarting up \u2013 I don\u2019t like being in the middle and I\u2019ve always been that way. When I was at Cambridge, I wore pink leather boots every day while everyone else was in jeans and trainers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    CAROL VORDERMAN is not your typical 60-something woman.  With her long blonde hair, curves that<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35396,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35394"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35394"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35394\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35491,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35394\/revisions\/35491"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35396"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}