Gok Wan has changed as a person since his 50th birthday
Gok Wan says he feels like a "different person" following his 50th birthday and the passing of one of his close friends last year.
Gok Wan feels like a "different person" since turning 50.
The 'How To Look Good Naked' presenter celebrated the milestone birthday last September and explained that he is now approaching life with a sense of fearlessness after losing one of his closest friends to cancer in 2024.
In an interview with Bella magazine, Gok said of being 50: "It's amazing. I'm really enjoying it. I got very excited about turning 50 and I'm having lots of fun. There's lots of new challenges.
"I lost my best friend to cancer last year, which was a huge shock to the system and that changed me a lot as a person. And so I feel like a different person in my 50th year.
"I feel confident and strong, like I could take on the world now because I faced one of the scariest things that any human can ever face, which is loss. That makes 50 feel great."
Gok is now presenting the Magic Radio weekday breakfast show alongside Harriet Scott and explained that he has now had to temper his partying as a result.
Asked if he had cut down on nights out, the stylist said: "I have. There's been a couple of nights that I've wet the whistle and I probably shouldn't have done.
"At 50, I can't be doing early mornings in the week and then DJ all weekend and all the other stuff I've got on. It wouldn't work.
"That was part of the reason for taking this job, to see whether I could make those lifestyle compromises."
Gok took over from Boyzone star Ronan Keating on the Magic breakfast show in January and acknowledges that he has "big shoes to fill" in his new job.
He said: "They're big shoes to fill. I mean, it's Ronan Keating, the pop star and heartthrob! He was a massive part of the show – he developed the breakfast show with Harriet so I wanted to do a good job and continue giving the listeners what they want.
"A breakfast radio show is a huge, huge, rewarding job. This is a big challenge. It's the first time in 30 years that I go to the same place every single morning."
