Closer talks to Dawn Porter
Thursday 10 March 2011
Closer got on the phone to presenter and writer Dawn Porter as the second innings of her series Extreme Wife hits TV channel Really, to ask exactly why she would put herself in a “basement of German hippies for a group massage!”
Dawn, 32, visited the commune for the first episode of the series exploring the idea of ‘free love’, and explains she’s always wanted to push boundaries.
“I generally have this feeling that I’m boring!” she laughs. “Everyone I know is doing the settling down, buying houses thing, and I want stories to tell. I’m never short of an anecdote at dinner parties that’s for sure.”
But she admits the unusual lengths she goes to in the name of journalism – like getting naked with naturists for a documentary – can occasionally make for an awkward moment.
She tells Closer: “I can be chatting to people in the pub, and then suddenly there’s this moment of realisation where they go, ‘Hang on! I’ve seen your boobs on TV!’ It sometimes shocks people, but mostly it’s fine.
“Most of what I do is extreme, so actually my own life becomes a bit quieter. I enjoy ‘normal’ because I get to be wild and take risks in my job!
“I get a kick out of pushing myself. It’s still weird and awkward, but I’ve always been an extrovert I think.”
Dawn lost 17lbs in eight weeks when she filmed Super Slim Me, a show discussing the trend to become size zero, and says the experience “chilled me out” about the idea of dieting.
“I’m so much more relaxed about myself now,” she explains. “Oddly, I’ve lost weight since I made that show, I’m probably half a stone lighter now and I think it’s because I don’t stress about it, I just eat what I want.
“The key is eating proper meals every night that are made with good ingredients – it’s eating well.”
By Amy Swales
Dawn Porter: Extreme Wife - new to Really, weeknights at 10pm from Monday 7 March (Sky 248, Virgin 267)