23 JANUARY 2003
Anthea Turner's career seems to have hit a trouble spot – the 42-year-old celebrity, who was once the second-highest paid woman on TV, has been unceremoniously dumped by high-profile manager Jonathan Shalit.

A source says that the now-unemployed star, who was both the Royal Variety Showbusiness Personality Of The Year and BBC Personality Of The Year in 1996, has not been able to come to grips with her slipping popularity. "The work she wanted was just not there," an insider told British newspaper the Daily Mirror, later adding: "Her aspirations were totally unreal. She wanted prime time TV. It wasn't going to happen."

Shalit confirmed that it had been difficult to find employment for the star. "I worked closely with Anthea for ten months and, on her behalf, talked to all the main players in the TV industry," he explained. "It became clear to me that her career ambitions were unrealistic in the current climate."

After completing a ten-week contract on This Morning, Anthea is now out of work – but she is not without management. A spokesperson revealed that the presenter and her husband, Grant Bovey, have "taken the joint decision" to have her career managed by his firm, Imagine. "The company is well connected in the television industry and believes it can take Anthea's career forward," says the representative.