It's 25 years since Melinda Messenger shot to fame as a glamour model after being spotted on a billboard ad for a windows firm in her home town.
The bubbly blonde went on to carve out a career as a TV host and actress. And now, at 51, she’s opening a window onto a whole new world of challenges.The fighting fit mum-of-three is hotly tipped to be joining the next celebrity series of SAS: Who Dares Wins.
But right now her eyes are firmly fixed on tackling a tough test of endurance that will certainly push her beyond her comfort zone. And that’s a high-altitude six-day 48-mile trek through mountainous Nepal, raising money to build a residential school for deaf children.
“Being in your 50s is such an important and powerful stage in life,” says Melinda. “And the challenge is to keep on growing and developing.
“You shouldn’t stop when you get to a certain age. It’s good to keep challenging yourself. As I have got older, I am much happier and I don’t care what I look like if I fail.”
Melinda chose Nepal for her trek because she fell in love with the country 10 years ago when she visited her brother – who lives there – at Christmas. She has kept a close eye on the plight of the Nepalese people since the earthquake there in April 2015 – and despairs at the terrifying scenes now unfolding in Turkey and Syria.
“My heart goes out to them. I pray they receive assistance,” she says. “Nepal is such a beautiful place and the people who live there are so kind and generous.
“But after the earthquake in 2015, they needed funds so badly for a lot of things, including renovating a school for deaf children. I know it will help enhance their learning and give them the best possible start in life. I’m really motivated for this.”
Her trek is being organised by survival expert and expedition leader Dr Raj Joshi, who runs travel company Adventure Boutique. They recently climbed Snowdon together as part of preparation for the expedition through the Langtang Valley, close to the border with Tibet, which has altitudes of up to 12,600ft.
“Snowdon was tough and I was so pleased to get to the top. Now I plan to do more walks and am really looking forward to Nepal. To go with a group of people I’ve never met before will be such a unique experience. I know we will all encourage each other.”
Melinda has also stepped out of her comfort zone in other ways since entering her 50s – finding the confidence to allow her blonde locks to turn grey. She says: “It was a natural evolution. I was about to film the Antiques Roadshow and I hadn’t coloured my hair for ages. I noticed lots of greys but I really liked my natural hair colour. It felt cool.
“I started telling my daughter I should go and dye it for the TV appearance but she asked me, ‘Why would you dye it if you like the colour of your hair?’ That was when the penny dropped. I was only doing it because I felt I had to look a certain way. I realised she was right.”
When she’s not preparing for her trek, Melinda, who trained as a psychotherapist in 2015, is helping clients. She says: “It’s a labour of love. It’s very rewarding and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
“It’s so wonderful to be able to help support my clients. I have had 10 years of therapy for training. You have to learn everything about yourself. Life will tell you all about yourself – if you know how to listen.”
Melinda is still willing to dip her toes into the TV world when the right opportunity crops up.
She was in Celebrity Big Brother 2 in 2002 and starred in Dancing on Ice in 2010. She has been a host on Live from Studio Five and Cowboy Builders. She refuses to be drawn on rumours of joining SAS: Who Dares Wins – which could see her alongside shamed Tory minister Matt Hancock.
But she does reveal that she dreams of appearing on Strictly Come Dancing one day. “I have no previous dance training and it terrifies me, but I would love to do it,” she says.
“Anything that is a journey or involves finding out new things about yourself and overcoming them is what I love. I don’t know how I would deal with my nerves. But then I am attracted to it because it’s terrifying. I’m A Celebrity? No, I am not so pulled to that for some reason. But TV will always be a big part of my life. I’ve been doing it for 25 years now and I like things I feel are right for me.
“I remember when I did Dancing on Ice. I used to be so frightened before going out there. I thought I’d be humiliated but I did all right. I am really open to whatever adventures come my way. I don’t want to shut myself away and I am not going to worry if I look like an idiot – that’s part of the fun.”
She reveals her eldest son Morgan, 22, has turned down the chance of following in her footsteps to enjoy TV fame. “He was asked if he would be interested in taking part in Love Island a few years ago, but he didn’t want to do it,” says Melinda.
“He told me, ‘Mum, I am happy and I have got a girlfriend. I am not interested’. He has a personality TV would love. He works in sales and I think he would do well in the industry, but he is very much himself and doesn’t feel any need to be anything but that.”
Her other children – Flynn, 20, and Evie, 19 – feel much the same as Morgan. “My kids are more private than I am but they know what makes them happy,” says Melinda.
“Flynn is very passionate about music and works as a landscape gardener and my daughter Evie is very interested in conservation and animal welfare. I will support them with whatever they want to do in life – but no, they don’t want to follow in my footsteps.
“I guide and offer my thoughts but I am proud of them and at the end of the day, they must do what they think is right and lead their own lives. We are all very close and I feel very lucky because they are still living at home with me. It is lovely.”
Melinda says she is now happily single. She was married to Wayne Roberts for 14 years but divorced him in 2012 and went on to several other relationships. Her last known romance was with former Royal Marine Chris Harding who she met on Celebrity First Dates, but that ended after eight months in 2019.
She says: “I am very happy. I have been in relationships since I was 18 and I really wanted a good solid chunk of time where it was just me. And I just had to think about my kids.”
Melinda’s Nepal trek takes place from April 5 to 15. The trek is six days long with overnight stops at lodges and tea houses. Daily walking averages 5 to 6 hours. If you’d like to join her, email Adventure Boutique at contact@theadventureboutique.org
