THE VIEW
LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL! Lucy Alexander is already a household name having co-presented Homes Under the Hammer for BBC1 every morning for 13 years. Since then, she has worked on a number of different shows and is now a presenter on A Place in the Sun for Channel 4. A massive fan of property, Lucy talks to Lynda Clark about her buying experiences, her TV career and offers her expert knowledge of buying for the first time
Photos: Mike Prior
L ucy is one of the most enthusiastic, bubbly people you are ever likely to meet. Her life hasn’t always been easy but she is so positive and up-beat about everything. We met as she was preparing to fly to Spain to present A Place in the Sun , but still had plenty of time to have coffee, delicious croissants and a catch-up. She is married to Stewart Castledine, a former Premier League footballer, and has two children of whom they are very proud. Leo, 19, who is
was paid her father very sensibly said that he would take the cheques so she didn’t spend it on clothes and going out! Her parents were always interested in property and they advised her to put the money into buying a home. Even though she was very young she decided to buy a two bedroom apartment in Clapham, south London, for £49,000 and her father acted as guarantor. She said, “At that point in my life I didn’t see it as an investment but I just loved the idea of being independent. I had various friends come and stay which helped out with the mortgage and I ended up living there for eight years. I eventually sold it for about £150,000, which was a good profit.” She then met her future husband, Stewart, who was also interested in property, and he sold his house and they bought a place together in Teddington,
following in his father’s footsteps and plays football at Chelsea, and Kitty, who plays Penny Branning in EastEnders .When she was about seven, Kitty became paralysed from an illness and is now a full-time wheelchair user. “Nothing stops her and it certainly doesn’t define her and she loves acting and is brilliant. She went to LAMDA and we were so delighted when she landed the part in this iconic soap.” When Lucy was about 18, she made a couple of TV commercials and when she
"I LOVE THE PEOPLE WE FIND A HOME FOR AND IT’S WONDERFUL TO BE PART OF THEIR JOURNEY"
First Time Buyer February/March 2025 21
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