Vanessa Feltz says she’s trying to ‘put on a brave face’ and ‘be professional’ after Ben Ofoedu split

Vanessa Feltz said she is determined not to let her break-up get in the way of it being business as usual where her career is concerned.

The TV presenter, 60, shocked fans at the weekend when she announced that she has split from her partner of 16 years, Ben Ofoedu.

Speaking with Ulrika Jonsson on her TalkTV show on Wednesday, Feltz said she’s trying to stay positive for the sake of her audience.

She said: “I’m doing my best to put on a brave face. After all, I’m at work, this is my job.

“I don’t want to burden my listeners and viewers by looking thoroughly miserable so they dread watching the programme and thinking, ‘oh God, is Vanessa falling apart before our very eyes?’ So I’m trying to do a professional job and bear up.”

Being only human, Feltz did admit to having a small wobble on her way to work earlier this week.

She said: “I did have one moment on the escalator coming up from the tube on Monday and I thought, ‘oh gosh.’”

Feltz and Ofoedu first got together in 2005 and over the years regularly made appearances together both on-screen, at events and in magazines.

He got down on one knee a year after they started dating and while Feltz accepted his proposal, she admitted that her previous marriage had left a bad taste in her mouth.

Feltz was previously married to doctor Michael Kurer, with whom she has two children.

They were wed in 1983, but got divorced in 2000.