Siân Lloyd – A funny kind of love

With her poised, professional demeanour, Siân Lloyd is Britain’s favourite TV weather presenter. In August 2001 with her career riding high, Siân was enjoying life to the full as a single forty-something when she met Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik at a glamorous summer party in Westminster Gardens.

“It seems a strange thing to say about a Member of Parliament, but I spotted a wild reckless side to Lembit on that first night. Believe it or not, he seemed like a bad boy. And bad boys can sometimes be very attractive indeed. What a strange but fascinating man!”

At first all was well and life was very exciting. They were two successful individuals, enjoying a high profile relationship as one of Westminster’s golden couples. But before long Siân found herself sucked into a very complicated and unsettling relationship but one she seemed incapable of pulling herself away from.

“Lembit’s leftfield take on life had been one of the things that first attracted me to him, but by now his impulsive behaviour was definitely losing its lustre for me. When you live life too long in a dysfunctional relationship, your batteries, your standards and your resistance all get low.

“Emotionally destructive or dysfunctional relationships are not apparent from day one, they weave their way into your life. It was never my intention to turn a personal relationship into a crusade, but that’s exactly what happened. I was sucked in and it took me a long time to realise how much I was jeopardising my own happiness and sanity.”

The final straw came when Lembit had an affair with one half of Romanian pop duo the Cheeky Girls. It was the stuff of a soap opera and Siân had to live out the painful end to her four-year relationship in the full public glare on the front pages of the tabloids.

With great candour Siân tells the full story in A Funny Kinf Of Love, which John Blake Publishing are bringing out on April 3.

At rock bottom, she started the book as a form of catharsis. But who would have thought it would have such a happy ending? During the course of putting the book together, Siân met motorsport entrepreneur Jonathan Ashman with whom she had a whirlwind ten-month romance and married on December 30th. Life can certainly be full of surprises!

Siân Lloyd was born in Maesteg and grew up in Neath, south Wales. She gained a first-class honours at Cardiff University. She went on to study journalism and after several years of news and current affairs programming, became an announcer on S4C, before moving to Worldwide Television News and then the weather on ITV.

She works closely with several charity and environmental causes, including The Prince’s Trust, Action on Addiction and NCH the children’s charity. She lives in London and Wales.

A Funny Kind Of Love is to be published by John Blake Publishing on April 3, RRP £17.99.