Anna Ryder Richardson, the owner of her own zoo, has taken a different course in her life than the one she had before, a name that has changed living room design throughout the UK.
Following her time as the host of a classic 90s show that transformed the nation’s living rooms, Anna Ryder Richardson has been on a weird and wild journey since Changing Rooms came to an end in 2004.
The interior design icon, Ryder Richardson lit up screens alongside Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen in the BBC reality show that ran for 10 seasons.
She founded her own interior design business in 1996, earning her first major TV success with her own design segment on GMTV, where she first discovered her passion for design while working in a children’s interior shop.
Prior to becoming one of the principal designers Changing Rooms, she would establish a friendship with Ainsley Harriot, a celebrity chef, who would introduce her to some producers.
When the show finished in 2004 Anna went on to appear in I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here in 2007 and became the sixth person to leave the jungle.
In addition to the jungle, Anna would also learn about wildlife when she conceived the idea of Manor Wildlife Park, a zoo in rural Pembrokeshire.
The designer bought and transformed the zoo alongside her ex-husband in 2008. She even documented her incredible mission to transform the site back into a Welsh tourist hotspot for the TV series Chaos at The Zoo.
The zoo has undergone significant renovations under their leadership, including the construction of a $ 300,000 rhino house and the introduction of new lion, zebra, and parrot species.
Owning the zoo was never plain sailing for the couple and caused various strains in their relationship. Sadly, they divorced in 2017, speaking to the Mail Online that “stresses and strains and expense of running our wildlife park have destroyed our marriage”.
Soon after their split, when they began to fight protracted legal battles for ownership, which she termed a “horrid limbo,” the rift emerged.
Speaking on the ‘How To Be 60’ podcast, the 61-year-old told Loose Women anchor Kaye Adams: “I am enjoying a bit of celibacy, to be honest… but we’ve dived straight in there, haven’t we? I’m officially still married for another few weeks.
“I believe it was probably the worst time.” Actually, it has been going on for a very long time. Has my time been wasted? Despite how I appear to be, I still have control and limbo, and I don’t really live my life. “
Ryder Richardson resuming her role as zoo manager in October 2024, it appears to have settled the dispute.
Source: Mirror
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