Carol Vorderman has opened up about her unpredictable early years, revealing moments of chaos, love, and even a spontaneous week selling candyfloss at a circus. Now 64, the TV personality looked back with raw honesty on her childhood in Wales, where she was raised by her mum Edwina and stepdad Gabriel Rizzi – a man she clearly adored, despite the ups and downs.
Speaking on James O’Brien’s Full Disclosure podcast, Carol painted a vivid picture of her stepdad Gabriel, whom she described as bursting with personality. “I loved my dad,” she said fondly. “He had a pickup truck, and I loved going up town… he always, come rain, hail, sleet or snow, had the window down with his arm out, and he knew everyone.”
She remembered how his colourful language amused the locals, laughing as she recalled his mix of Italian, Welsh, and fluent swearing. “His first language was Italian, second Welsh, and third swearing,” she joked. “It’s probably why I love swearing so much now”, reported the Express.
Despite the laughter, Carol didn’t shy away from the instability that shaped her early life. Her mum’s rocky relationship with Gabriel meant frequent upheavals. “Life was in technicolour with my dad, but mum kept leaving him, so that meant everything was unstable really,” she admitted.
One of those times led to an actual escape to the circus – no, really. “We ran away to the circus once, not even kidding,” she said. Her sister was working for Billy Smart Junior, so her mum packed them up and they joined her. “I think I was about 10… I sold candyfloss for a week.”
But life on the run wasn’t glamorous. Carol remembers staying in a grim B&B opposite Leicester prison, with broken windows and barely-there comforts. Still, it’s the kind of memory that sticks – weird, wild, and utterly formative.
Carol has shared her love for Gabriel before, especially in her 2021 BBC show Closer to Home, where she introduced viewers to her extended family, including her stepbrother Arthur. Reflecting on how Gabriel stepped in when her biological father wanted nothing to do with her, she became visibly emotional.
“Reminiscing about my dad always gets me emotional,” she said. “The hardest thing is the knowledge now… that my stepfather loved me, probably as much as I loved him. And I think I’m grieving for him. For the lost years.” Through all the chaos, love and laughter, it’s clear Gabriel left a lasting mark on Carol’s heart – one she’ll never forget.
