Janet Street-Porter says she’s 70 and as ‘stroppy’ as ever

IF anyone assumed Janet Street-Porter would allow age to mellow her “abrasive, stroppy, rebellious streak” in any way, they’d better think again.

This lady’s clearly not for changing.

“I feel pretty much the same as the 16-year-old I once was,” declares the 70-year-old writer and Loose Women panellist, who’s renowned for her outspoken views and no-nonsense attitude.

“I never liked fitting in, hated rules and people telling me what to do when I was a teenager and not a lot’s changed!

“I’m perhaps not quite as bad as I was, but I’m still more abrasive than most people.

“Age, in my view, is all in your mind and to be honest, apart from seeing my face first thing in the morning, nothing about me feels 70.”

With her glossy red hair, her looks do indeed belie her years, but her focus is on being “grateful I’ve survived seven-action packed decades with a few wrinkles, but absolutely no regrets”.

It’s her mission to show people how they too can stay young at heart and in mind, and she’s supporting WE100, a campaign that aims to prepare society to live 100 healthy years.

“At the end of the day, if you don’t allow your mind to age, you’re three-quarters of the way there in holding back the years,” says Janet.

“As you get older, caution sets in and it can put you off trying new things because you worry about going out of your comfort zone.

“It’s all too easy to stick to the same food, watch the same TV programmes, and only mix with the friends you’ve known for years because it feels safe, familiar and comfortable.

“Please don’t think though that I don’t know what it’s like to love routine.

“It’s been a framework and something I’ve hung on to over the years while I’ve gone through changes at work and sometimes at home.

“Even now, I have to admit I eat the same breakfast every day — avocado on toast — and a full English fry-up at weekends, love walking the same routes in Yorkshire and listen to The Archers as often as I can.

“But the important thing is routine shouldn’t take over your life, or it will shrink and narrow right down, squeeze out any opportunity for challenges, and that’s really what will age you.”

In the past, Janet’s certainly never appeared to flinch from pushing her boundaries, and has done it publicly.

As well as an enduring career in television, she’s successfully edited a national newspaper, and has taken part in a host of reality shows, from I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here! to Celebrity Masterchef and stints “working” as a nurse and a primary school teacher for various TV shows.

“I made myself tackle them and none of those things have put me off continuing to challenge myself, so my brain doesn’t seize up,” she says.

“In fact, since my 70th birthday last year, I’ve made a list at the end of every day to check that I’ve said ‘yes’ to more things than I’ve turned down.

“I resolved when I got to 70 to do the best I could with every day that I have.”

True to her word, she recently undertook her first session of aerial yoga — participants hang in a hammock to practise the moves — organised by the WE100 campaign.

“I dreaded doing it because it sounded quite terrifying and I worried I might fall, but actually it was exhilarating,” she says proudly.

“It’s about triumphing over that fear of failure which can creep in and make you set yourself limits mentally and physically.

“I know my face shows my age, but the only way to deal with that is to laugh and talk a lot which makes your face come alive.

“And frankly, there’s no need or excuse for elasticated waists and never changing the shade of lipstick you’ve worn for years!”

Janet laments the fact that older people aren’t acknowledged enough.

“I have a stroppy attitude that’s very useful, and I don’t worry about being invisible because generally I think it’s hard to ignore me,” she says, hooting with laughter.

“I think, in general, though, older people can be a little bit docile and feel they’re ignored. It’s up to them to change that and realise our age group is a very powerful lobby.”

Janet Street-Porter is lending her support to WE100, a campaign that aims to prepare society to live 100 healthy years.

WE100, a global Merck Consumer Health initiative, hopes to inspire people of all ages to try something new for the first time, and help maintain mental and physical health into old age. Visit facebook.com/WE100UK