Alistair Appleton has been a regular fixture on our screens for years, having appeared on various BBC home shows since the early 2000s. The broadcaster is perhaps best known, however, for his appearances on Escape to the Country, in which he helps buyers find their dream homes in the countryside.
While Alistair, 55, is famed for his TV work, he has a very different career off-screen. In the late 2000s, the presenter made a major life change, which he said was "the best decision" of his life. Intrigued? Find out more below…
© InstagramAlistair's major life change
At around the same time he began working in television, Alistair became interested in meditation. "It was initially just a way of keeping my head but gradually I became really interested in Buddhism," he told Great British Life in 2012.
From there, he travelled to various retreats in Thailand, California, Zimbabwe and Scotland, which inspired him to teach mindfulness meditation while visiting Holy Island off the coast of Arran. He eventually set up his own meditation company, Mindsprings, in 2005.
© InstagramA couple of years later, he retrained as a psychotherapist, which he said was "the best decision" of his life.
"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," he told the publication.
"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's meditation company
According to its official website, Mindsprings is interested in "wellness and the promotion of mental health before the 'illness' and pathology set in".
It's a subject close to Alistair's heart, with the star having suffered from anxiety during a stressful period in his life.
© InstagramOn his website, the TV presenter explained: "Around 2012, I got ill. After a very stressful breakup, working crazy hours, finishing an intense therapy training and buying and renovating a London home.
"At the time, I didn't know it was anxiety, but I couldn't sleep, felt constantly tired and worried about everything," he continued, adding that he's spent the last decade working hard to "understand and transform my anxiety", which is something he now helps others with.
Alistair's coastal home life
In 2013, Alistair swapped the hustle and bustle of city life in London for the idyllic coast of East Sussex, where he lives with his husband, Daniel and their dog, Ben.
© InstagramSharing details of their home, Alistair previously wrote on his website: "I am lucky to have found love and have a very understanding and supportive husband, Daniel... We're currently in a 1930s French sea captain's cottage in the port of Newhaven. And we live there with our very big dog, Ben."
