Escape to the Country has been a staple on our screens for many years now and familiar faces such as Alistair Appleton have become household names as a result.
MORE: Escape to the Country star Alistair Appleton opens up about unhappy past
But away from his time on the show, which sees him take hopeful house-buyers to look for their perfect home in the countryside, Alistair keeps busy in other ways. Here's all you need to know about his job away from the BBC programme.
Alistair Appleton: later career
For a number of years now, Alistair has been furthering his career in meditation and psychotherapy, and in 2004 the presenter considering changing his life drastically.
© Photo: InstagramAlistair has a busy working life away from his presenting duties
In 2004, he travelled to Thailand to study Ashtanga yoga and Buddhism, telling Mind-Springs: "I went to Thailand and was thinking of becoming a monk. I was considering it very seriously."
However, after a change of mind, Alistair has since become a fully qualified psychotherapist. The 52-year-old completed an MA in Advanced Psychotherapy and uses his knowledge and expertise to pass on to others. Alistair also offers an online course in meditation while his husband, Daniel, works alongside him as a yoga teacher.
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MORE: Escape to the Country's Alistair Appleton reveals surprising career path he almost pursued
The BBC star told Hampshire Life back in 2012: "I loved that work so much that I started to get a bit disenchanted with all the crazy schedules of TV filming and I decided five years ago to re-train as a psychotherapist. That was the best decision of my life and I think I’ve hit my 40s in much better shape than I hit my 30s."
Alistair Appleton: early career
While Alistair is now living a more relaxed and considered working life, his early career started very differently. In the late nineties, Alistair had presenting stints on shows such as Hot TV, House Doctor and Rhona.
© Photo: BBCAlistair has fronted Escape to the Country since 2002
His other notable presenting gig was for Cash in the Attic, which he fronted for three years from 2002 until 2005. Soon after, the presenter dipped his toes into the acting world and had small roles in titles such as Footballers Wives and Doctor Who.
Alistair Appleton: Escape to the Country
Alistair has been one of the more familiar faces on Escape to the Country, but back in 2019 the TV star hinted he could be taking a step back from presenting. He told Mind-Springs: "Television always comes with a shelf life anyway... Nothing goes on forever," he said, before explaining that any future TV stint would have to have a "mental health" or "therapeutic angle".
© Photo: BBCThe presenter is a trained psychotherapist
Reflecting further on his TV career, Alistair added: "You know, in my 20s all I wanted to be was a famous TV presenter, and by the time I turned 30 I was already seeing that was a very dangerous path for me because I knew that it would just mean more anxiety, more laying value on external looks.
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