Lisa Snowdon reveals she’s engaged to boyfriend George Smart and talks why refusing to settle for second best paid off
THE huge smile on Lisa Snowdon’s face says it all.
It may only be four weeks into 2017, but she’s already having the best year ever.
The TV presenter and model, 45, stretches out her left hand to reveal a sparkling diamond rock sitting pretty on her ring finger.
“I’m engaged!” she squeals.
The happy moment came when boyfriend of 14 months, Yorkshire-born entrepreneur George Smart, 37, went down on one knee over the festive period.
“George proposed on the Saturday before Christmas and it was such a lovely surprise – I had absolutely no idea he was going to do it!” admits Lisa.
“He did it at home – it was just us, it was really low-key and completely unexpected.
“He chose the most beautiful diamond ring, which I love, and amazingly it fits me perfectly! It was such a great way to start the New Year.”
This is Lisa’s fifth Fabulous cover, and she is undoubtedly the happiest we’ve ever seen her.
“I feel very content about everything and I’m in a good place,” she smiles.
“George is a really lovely man. He’s selfless, honest, kind, wise, calm and thoughtful. The list is endless. I’m very lucky!”
Their love story is certainly worthy of a Hollywood script.
Fourteen years ago, girl meets boy while working at MTV.
She’s the glamorous presenter and he’s head of events.
They have a brief fling but split due to their eight-year age gap.
Girl then goes back to her on/off relationship with a movie star (hello, George Clooney).
Several rocky romances and more than a decade later, they randomly get reintroduced by a mutual pal. And the rest, as they say, is history.
“George [Smart] was a lovely chap, but there was an age difference and it seemed much bigger back then. We both went off and made whatever mistakes we needed to make. A mutual friend was working with him and George mentioned my name. She got on the phone and said: ‘You have to go out with this guy.’ I just knew it was George. He called me and I’d forgotten he was northern! We both had big smiles on our faces walking towards each other for our date. It felt very familiar.”
George’s romantic proposal came just five weeks after Lisa spent 16 days on I’m A Celebrity! in November and was the second celebrity to exit the Australian jungle.
Her stint as a camp mate won the hearts of the British public thanks to her honesty over her struggle to become a mum.
And today, Lisa is just as frank as she reveals both she and George are happy with their decision not to become parents.
“I don’t want people to pity me,” she says softly.
“I’ve seen friends in their mid to late-40s struggle trying to get pregnant and it takes over their lives completely. They’ve got a burning desire that eats away at them.”
It wasn’t a risk Lisa was willing to take, so the couple have ruled out IVF and adoption.
“Relationships are precious and you need to work on them. At times, they get pushed to the wayside and something else becomes the focus. Before you know it you’ve lost yourself and you’re pumped full of hormones,” she says.
“George and I didn’t want to go down that route. We’re both really happy and don’t want to put our relationship through that strain.
“People always think it’s so easy [to get pregnant], but it’s not. My friend has been trying for years and won’t give up. I go to clinics in Spain with her. I pray every time that it will happen, but it’s heartbreaking seeing your friend go through that.”
The conversation about not having kids came up early on.
“I’m in my 40s so it’s something that has to be discussed. If you know you’re going to be with that person then you shouldn’t be afraid to bring those subjects up. You have to be like: ‘This is the deal. Are you bothered about kids? No? Nor am I. OK, but do you want to try?’ George said no. [Instead we can] put all our energy and time into each other and travelling the world.”
The couple already have their hands full with their brood of nieces and nephews.
Lisa has Finley, five, and Willow, three, on her sister Joanna’s side, while her other sister Lesley-Ann is mum to three-month-old Rudie. George is uncle to six-month-old Sidney on his brother Arthur’s side.
“I consider Sidney my niece, too, as I was there the day she was born,” says Lisa.
“They’re all funny little characters and gorgeous. I went to pick up Willow from school the other day and she wouldn’t let me go!
“Not everything is achievable and sometimes you have to take stock of what’s really important. Being an aunt and uncle is great and that’s what we decided to do. I feel very blessed.”
Lisa is at pains to point out that while she’s found peace with her decision, it’s definitely not for everyone.
“I wouldn’t have spoken about it unless I’d come to terms and been content about it. I’ve been asked about it endlessly for years, as it’s the natural road people expect you to go down,” she says.
“It’s like when you go to a wedding as a single person and people say: ‘Oh, are you OK? Still not found anybody?’ It’s that pity and head to the side. It’s similar if you decide you don’t want to have children – people think you can’t have them.
“It’s a minefield out there. [If you] make the decision for whatever reason, don’t beat yourself up and be grateful for what else you’ve got. Children are very precious so I think if you do want them, then you should definitely go for it.”
After exiting the jungle, Lisa blamed her rocky love life for not becoming a mum, explaining at the time: “I just didn’t want to have a baby and not have a happy home. I didn’t want to have an unhappy pregnancy.”
It’s fair to say Lisa hasn’t always had the best relationships.
In 2014, her ex Adereti Monney – Will.i.am’s communications manager – was arrested after attacking her in public during an argument.
Lisa refused to press charges, but Adereti admitted assault by beating and was given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay £100.
She stayed with him before splitting the following year.
She also dated CSI actor Gary Dourdan, and famously had a five-year on/off relationship with George Clooney.
So at what point did Lisa realise her exes weren’t dad material?
She carefully considers her answer.
“Mostly it’s in reflection or a gut instinct at the time…” she says slowly.
“Looking back on that five-year relationship, it didn’t dawn on me, as I was a bit too young then. So that was in reflection [thinking]: ‘God, that would not have been a good situation.’
“There have been a few rocky ones since. You know as a woman when it’s right or wrong. It’s not healthy to bring a child into that situation. In my eyes I wanted it to be a lovely pregnancy in a happy home with good energy and without any added stress. There are all sorts of scans that you have to go to and we needed to be a team and in a happy place.”
Despite her gut instinct, Lisa admits she would repeatedly find herself trapped in bad relationships.
“Sometimes it’s easier to stay than get out of it because you can’t always work out how to get out,” she says quietly.
“We know when something’s not right, but you just squash that feeling. It’s the most frustrating thing. When you have a drama [filled] relationship, you think that’s what is necessary to prove someone loves you. I thought that angst, to-ing and fro-ing and anxiety was what a relationship was about, and that’s where I was going wrong.
“They just weren’t right for me, but I was trying to make it right. I mistook that for a real connection. You have to realise your worth and how you want to be treated. If it doesn’t sit well with you, then just get out.”
In 2015, Lisa went on a year-long self-imposed dating detox.
“It was brilliant,” she laughs.
“I loved being home alone with a box set, bottle of wine and box of chocolates! Subconsciously, I was attracting the same sort of guy who was wrong for me, so it was good to take a step back.”
She also sought professional help to break the cycle and combined her man-free zone with therapy.
“I had CBT [cognitive behavioural therapy] for about a year. It was quite a long process but really good. It goes back to your childhood when those patterns start forming and resets your brain.
“I also started guided meditation to relax, which injected more positivity into my thoughts and life. Rather than beating yourself up about what you haven’t achieved in life, look at what you have achieved and what you’ve got around you. When you start being grateful for those little things, other things start shifting.”
It was then that Lisa underwent a dramatic lifestyle overhaul.
“I’m much happier and more peaceful,” she smiles.
“I’m in a good place, but it’s taken me a while! I moved back to Essex [from London]. Being in the kitchen, baking, gardening and going for walks in the countryside have really helped. It’s good to have time alone to reflect and assess. Then you start to fantasise about what you do want. That’s when good things start to happen. Well, they did for me!”
You can say that again. Lisa is all too aware of how different things could have been if she didn’t seek help.
“It’s not worth thinking about, to be honest,” she says.
“Timing is everything, and this is when George and I were meant to rekindle our relationship. It’s fate. There’s no drama or stress and he’s got my back. It’s so different. I don’t think anyone should settle until they have that feeling because it’s just so brilliant.”
Lisa’s career is still going from strength to strength, too.
Her girl-next-door looks and statuesque 5ft 10in curvy frame first attracted the attention of an agent at Premier Model Management when she was 19 and dancing in a nightclub.
The Hertfordshire-born star went on to become one of the UK’s top models, earning around £100,000 a shoot with everyone from Gucci to Marks & Spencer.
She also turned her hand to presenting, fronting Britain’s Next Top Model for four years and co-presenting Capital FM’s breakfast show until 2015.
The same year, she was unveiled as the new face and body of Triumph – nearly a quarter of a century after she had first modelled for the lingerie brand.
It’s no mean feat, but Lisa is typically modest about winning the campaign as an older woman.
“I haven’t really [experienced ageism]. It’s about accepting yourself and the things that have changed with your body, face and hair follicles,
as you’re never going to have this time again.”
It’s this attitude that’s helped Lisa embrace her 45th birthday earlier this week. So what does her midlife bucket list consist of?
“More travelling, learning some more cooking skills and I’d love to write a novel. I feel really lucky as I’ve achieved quite a lot in the past 25 years.”
Career-wise, Lisa has plenty of irons in the fire for the coming year, but she’s keeping her cards close to her chest for now.
In the flesh, Lisa looks incredible. She has legs that go on forever, an enviable size-10 figure and glowing skin that makes her look at least 10 years younger.
There’s not even a drop of Botox responsible – instead Lisa puts her youthful glow down to regular Pilates classes and cutting-edge facials she has with skin expert Marie Reynolds.
And as for those eyes that are as sparkly as her ring? We reckon being head over heels in love is more than a little bit responsible.
“I’m happier and stronger as a person. I’m very lucky – I’ve got a lot of lovely people in my life. Everything is just fitting into place and it’s just a really good time,” she grins.
It certainly is.
Lisa is an ambassador for .