A Place in the Sun's Laura Hamilton's life from 'unknown' disease to sad divorce

TV favourite Laura Hamilton has been a fixture on Channel 4's A Place in the Sun for over a decade and is a much-loved presenter, but there is much more to the star's life

A Place in the Sun's much-loved host Laura Hamilton has been lighting up Channel 4 for over 10 years with her infectious grin and engaging rapport with those seeking a sunnier life overseas. The telly favourite juggles her role as a presenter with being a doting mum to her two cute kids, Rocco and Tahlia, whom she shares with her former hubby Alex Goward.

But there's more to Laura than meets the eye; she's got a treasure trove of talents and roles aside from her TV work and parenting duties. Her roots trace back to Scotland, where she holds cherished memories of time spent in Fort William, thanks to her Scottish grandad. Recalling her childhood adventures, Laura told The Daily Record: "When I was a kid, my parents and I went up on sleeper train to Fort William to a skiing range. The sleeper train up to Fort William was absolutely beautiful and that was my first skiing experience."

She fondly remembers growing up with outdoor escapades, saying, "As kids, we grew up camping and caravanning," and added, "I saw a lot of Scotland. It's beautiful up there. And when I was starting out in my career I worked for a company called Lion TV that is based in Glasgow. I filmed a couple of shows for them including one called Beat My Build. I used to work on music concerts and events and also worked on an event in Bothwell Castle."

Now, let's take a closer peek into her personal life...

Marriage and divorce

In January 2022, Laura announced the end of her nine-year marriage to Alex with a poignant Instagram post quoting Dr. Seuss: "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."

Alongside the quote, she shared a personal message: "This isn't something I ever thought I'd be saying but, after 13 years of being together Alex and I have separated. Our children are and always will be our number one priority and we would respect privacy for our family at this time. Laura."

She later revealed that their separation was amicable, explaining: "It was a decision we both came to. We have an enormous amount of respect for each other, but we are now on different paths. At the point it was announced, we'd already overcome a lot of difficult times. But I am lucky that we have the relationship and respect for each other that we have, and our children's happiness will always be our priority."

She's now rumoured to be in a new relationship with CEO James Pettigrew, 44, who she has been seeing since January.

Glittering career

Laura started as a runner for Dermot O'Leary on Channel 4, she quickly ascended the ranks, contributing to major shows such as Top of the Pops, The Buckingham Palace Jubilee Celebrations, and Big Brother.

She then became a familiar face on screen as Melody in the beloved children's show Fun Song Factory before becoming a Nickelodeon star. While also filming A Place in the Sun, Kent-born Laura presented Channel 5's Cowboy Builders and Bodge Jobs, and worked as a guest presenter on ITV's This Morning

Pub landlady

Laura, as a guest location presenter. Beyond television, she was the entrepreneurial force behind her former restaurant and deli, Lord Roberts on the Green, which she ran with her ex-partner Alex.

After dedicating four years to the venture, Laura decided to move on. In 2022, she reached out to her followers with mixed emotions, announcing: "Today is a happy and a sad day all rolled into one... Today we exchanged contracts on the sale of @lordrobertsonthegreen and the new owner will take over from 20th April 2022."

She reflected on her journey, sharing: "Five years ago I decided to embark upon a crazy journey... To rescue the village shop, become the local postmistress, and create a brand and business where we would employ local people and create a local hotspot and an asset in the community."

Health battle

Laura has also been open about her personal health struggles, particularly with Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), a condition that leads to a low platelet count and causes bruising. She bravely shared images of her bruised legs on social media, reassuring fans that it was just a "flare-up" and quipping, "This is ITP! Just a little flare-up this week. But you won't see it under my dress for filming! ".

In a candid chat with the Daily Star, Laura opened up about her health struggles, saying, "I have something called ITP, Immune thrombocytopenia, which is low platelet count in my blood, its quite an unknown disease. It sort of flares up and down depending on what's going on with my life, and stress often brings it out."

Up in the air

In an unexpected turn, Laura has embarked on the journey to become a pilot, a dream sparked by her father, Ian Hamilton, who was not only part of a 70s pop group associated with The Wombles but also possessed a private pilot's licence. "I've always been interested in learning to fly because my dad has a private pilot's license he had when I was growing up. Running a business, you can never take your foot off the pedal and you're always having to keep an eye on the spend but this was something that has always been on my bucket list."

Not content with just dreaming, Laura is now taking to the skies like Carol Vorderman, another TV star turned pilot.

"I'm being taught by a BA pilot out of Redhill, Surrey, which is not too far from where I live. I've had a few lessons in a Cessna 152 and I have to rack up 45 hours before I get my private pilot's license and there's lots of exams I have to pass."

Watch A Place in the Sun on Friday at 3pm