Weather presenter Sian Lloyd has good reason to watch the forecasts herself at this time of year – so she can be alert and ward off her severe hayfever, she tells Gabrielle Fagan

ITV weather girl Sian Lloyd is as disappointed as everyone else that she can’t guarantee a sunny forecast for the months ahead, but on her personal horizon, the future looks set fair. She’s been on screen for more than two decades and at 54 years old, looks better than ever.

‘‘Well, love certainly puts a spring in your step,’’ says Lloyd, who’s a size ten and radiates contentment and charm as she chats about her career, her personal life and being reduced to tears by an allergy.

‘‘I wish I could tell people there’s a great summer ahead but we don’t get the longterm forecast – that’s down to the Met Office – so I’m as much in the dark as everyone else,’’ she says. ‘‘I’m being bombarded with people coming up to me and asking, ‘Is summer on its way?’ ‘‘I just say, ’If I had my way, it would be’, with some rainfall at night and sunshine all day, but that’s not in my gift.’’ Lloyd was born in Bridgend, Wales, trained as a journalist and won her role on ITV after doing documentaries about weather. ‘‘I’ve always loved the weather – there’s never a dull moment with it, because Mother Nature is such a ferocious, unpredictable beast,’’ she says.

Lloyd is the channel’s longest-serving weather presenter and after some stormy times in her relationships, is now happily married to millionaire motor-racing entrepreneur Jonathan Ashman, 63. ‘‘We’re in tune with one another and enjoy so many of the same things, such as travelling, hiking and the outdoor life,’’ she says.

There’s only one cloud looming in this sunny picture – her problem with hayfever, which is triggered by grass pollen.

‘‘There are millions of hay fever sufferers and I know only too well the symptoms can be totally miserable. When I’ve done outside broadcasts in green spaces, I’ve had tears rolling down my cheeks from my streaming eyes, which become bloodshot and puffy, and I sneeze continuously.

‘‘It’s certainly not a good look for TV, and at one stage it was a standing joke among the film crew who used to shout, ‘Stop the camera, Sian’s crying again’.”

Over the years, she’s unsuccessfully tried a variety of remedies but recently found relief using a drug-free powder nasal spray, Care Allergy Defence. ‘‘Even though I have an advantage in getting the inside story on the weather, so I know if the wind’s going to whip up the pollen or the rain’s going to dampen it down, I still need help when it happens,’’ she says.

‘‘Care Allergy Defence has helped a lot and it’s ideal because it’s natural. Antihistamines make me drowsy and are unsuitable as I need to be totally alert as a broadcaster.

I was at my wits’ end until I found this.’’ Few viewers would guess her secret summer problem as Lloyd is known for her glamorous, perfectly groomed appearance.

‘‘Undoubtedly, women in television seem to have to look ten times better than the men. I don’t feel that pressure myself, but I’ve always believed in the importance of taking care of my health and looks, and ensuring I look as good as possible, for my own personal satisfaction.’’ She swims, cycles and undertakes annual hikes for charity in various parts of the world. As a keen cook, she competed in Celebrity MasterChef in 2009, and she says her love of food means she prefers to focus on healthy eating rather than dieting.

While she’s enjoyed longevity on screen, she’d like to see television more reflective of all ages in society – for men and women.

‘‘I think there is a bias to young, glamorous weather girls and boys, although I’ve passed the big 50 mark, so that’s a big tribute to ITV,” she says. “They’ve been very loyal to me,’’ she says.

  • Care Allergy Defence 500mg, approx 200 sprays, £5.99, is available from Sainsbury’s pharmacies, Morrisons, Asda and Holland & Barrett stores. For further information, visit allergydefence.co.uk