Anita Rani reveals the reason behind her bold BAFTA look

Anita Rani has revealed the reason why she opted to wear a bold see-through dress at the BAFTA TV Awards this weekend.

The author and broadcaster stole the show on the red carpet last Sunday (12 May) thanks to a daring pearl encrusted, sheer dress. She styled her floor-length gown by Australian designer Rebecca Valance with a pair of platform heels and asymmetrical earrings.

In an interview with Lorraine Kelly on her ITV show today (Tuesday 14 May), Anita explained that she wanted her look to embody a "new confidence".

She said, "I would not have worn that dress 10 years ago. I probably would have worried about my arms and my thighs or all that nonsense. But for some reason I am wearing that dress, it's not wearing me. I just think there is something about a woman, a transformation, where you just embody a bit more confidence.

“Clothes are an interesting thing because I think you can wear the same outfit. The same person can wear the same outfit. But if you're not feeling at your most confident, you won't own it in the same way.”

Asked whether her look was an act of revenge against her husband, who she separated from in September last year, Anita replied, “It’s not a revenge dress. It’s a woman owning who she is dress.”

The presented added, “Lots has happened to me in the last few years and my life has changed. I lost an auntie during lockdown, I've not spoken about that. That's really hard because we were very close. She wasn't even 60.

"She was an amazing woman, but who did everything for everybody else, as a lot of the women around me have done. And then you realise, well, maybe she should have lived for herself a little bit more... I think we can all make time for ourselves a little bit and try to heal whatever's going on within ourselves. So that's where I'm at in my life. I just want to keep pushing that agenda.”

Anita, who is also Good Housekeeping's June cover star, opened up to GH about her exciting new chapter - and what else she has in store.

"I feel like I've stepped into a place that I never, ever expected myself to be in," she said.

"I'm in uncharted territory - I'm a single, Asian woman with no children, and do you know what? I love it! I've sort of got a blank slate in front of me, and that feels really good."

Since becoming single again, Anita has moved back into a flat she bought many years ago - and she's been busy turning it into her sanctuary.

"When I first became single, a friend said, "You could make your little apartment like a Parisienne dream house" - and that's exactly what I've done," she said.

Read the full interview in Good Housekeeping’s June issue, on sale now.