As fashion guru Gok Wan turns 50, he's celebrating not only the major birthday milestone but a whole new outlook on life.
The one-time How To Look Good Naked host has experienced some incredible highs such as receiving his MBE for services to fashion and social awareness in 2020 - but also some heartbreaking lows, including the death of his best friend earlier this year.
When OK! catches up with Gok for an exclusive chat, which is easier said than done as, to quote the man himself, he lives his life like "a bullet train", he gives probably his most intimate and personal interview to date.
Part of this newfound strength to be vulnerable comes with age, he says, but also from his grief. "If only we learned that strength from the positives in life," he says. "It also comes with age.
Can you imagine how mighty you could be in your twenties with that knowledge? The pride that comes with that strength is quite remarkable." In other big news, Gok has also just been announced as an ambassador for fashion brand JD Williams, and is planning to shout far and wide about why midlife women matter...
Happy birthday, Gok! You turned 50 last week. How do you feel about entering that next stage of your life?
I'm excited! I have no problem with growing old. I'm excited about having a big old party to celebrate and I don't feel any negativity towards age at all. I'm excited about being in a space where I'm confident enough to slow things down. My Achilles heel is I go like a bullet train at everything I do and I cram my life with stuff. I guess I'm looking forward to having the confidence to be able to handpick the moments of my life that I want to be present in and the stuff that I don't want to be involved in. And that comes from wisdom. And it also comes from having lived for half a century on this planet. I couldn't have done that in my thirties or probably even my forties.
This story is from the September 23, 2024 edition of OK! UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 23, 2024 edition of OK! UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
BABY JOY: I honestly think Tom must have brought Will to me'
Kelsey Parker and her partner Will Lindsay reveal their pregnancy
REST IN PEACE: 'Linda was just a force of nature and I've been in awe of her'
TV star Coleen Nolan pays tribute to her brave and beloved sister Linda who recently passed away
THE ROYAL WEEK
There were trips to Scotland and South Africa for the royal family, along with visits to charities, plus a cuddle with a puppy
DIFFERENT STROKES: After miscarriage, I fell out of love with my body'
Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington tells OK! about accepting her losses, her two beautiful children and getting to a better place
BROOK HERE! 'I'm not trying to be anything other than I am'
Model and presenter Kelly Brook and her husband Jeremy have moved back to London to start a new chapter. Here, she tells us about staying trim, not having kids and her bucket-list TV project
LIFE LESSONS: I'm learning to like my own company'
Strictly's Shirley Ballas on family, friendship and finding inner strength during her latest TV challenge
IN MOTHER MODE: Felicity's amused and amusing - with a little bit of cattiness'
Actress Dame Joanna Lumley returns to our screens as snobbish grandmother Felicity alongside Lucy Punch as acerbic Amanda in Motherland spin-off Amandaland
BEST OF THE ALGARVE
Can't decide between the luxe resorts west of Faro and the pretty towns and sandy islands to the east? Here's an itinerary that combines both
JUNGLE QUEEN: 'I prefer a natural look'
I'm A Celebrity runner-up Coleen Rooney reveals the health and beauty must-haves that keep her looking and feeling her best as a busy mum-of-four
TAKING THE LEAD: 'My animalistic instinct is more golden retriever'
Actress Amy Adams on motherhood and connecting to her wild side for a movie that should give us all paws for thought