Each setback makes you stronger: ITV news anchor Lucrezia Millarini shares the one lesson she’s learned in life
Lucrezia Millarini, 47, is an ITV news anchor who has competed on Celebrity Mastermind, Dancing On Ice and The Weakest Link. She lives in London with her husband, journalist Simon Kurs.
EACH SETBACK MAKES YOU STRONGER
I’m now happy in my personal and professional life, but it’s not been easy getting here. About 25 years ago, I was in a completely different place, studying law at Bristol University. I was the first from my working-class family to go to university. But being away from home and having the pressures of a challenging degree, I deteriorated mentally and developed an eating disorder.
Surviving that has been one of the most profound experiences of my life. I built back from that knock.
I went on to Bar School and was just a pupillage away from becoming a fully-fledged barrister when I had a bad accident in Greece, falling off a balcony and nearly breaking my back. It made me reassess my life.
Lucrezia Millarini, 47, is an ITV news anchor who has competed on Celebrity Mastermind, Dancing On Ice and The Weakest Link
My dad is Italian and worked in restaurants, while my English mum, Jane, is a former social worker.
She always told me: ‘You don’t just get given things on a plate — you have to fight for them.’
From about nine years old, I’d been inspired watching the news, so I decided to pursue my initial dream of being a TV reporter. I had no connections in the industry, but I felt more comfortable on this career path than I had studying law and was glad to not have to wear a wig every day.
Broadcast journalism didn’t happen for me overnight. There were setbacks, including bullying and misogyny in my early career. Presenting ITV News at Ten for the first time in 2021 felt surreal and was quite a moment for my parents, too. Covering big stories such as the London Bridge terror attacks and the funeral of the Duke Of Edinburgh have stood out for me. I get a debrief from my mum on the phone after every bulletin.
My younger self wouldn’t have believed where I am now. I love my job and feel a great sense of achievement.
Doing what I do, you have to be determined and ambitious. I’m often thinking: ‘What next?’ My dad asks me: ‘When are you going to get your own show?’ and I say: ‘It’s not that easy, Papa!’
Interview by PETER ROBERTSON
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