A Place in the Sun's Craig Rowe's life from health battle to happy relationship

10 November 2023 , 14:00

953     0

A Place in the Sun's Craig Rowe's life from health battle to happy relationship

Television host and travel expert Craig Rowe joined Channel 4's A Place in the Sun last year and has become a much-loved face on our screens ever since. The 50-year-old star jets off to sunny locations to help expats find their dream homes abroad, and his warm personality has made him a hit with viewers.

Away from the show, the Bristolian presenter enjoys spending time with his family, friends and partner of six years, Paul White. It's no secret that Craig is a big fan of travelling and he loves taking city breaks with his other half, often posting social media snaps of the couple in locations like Berlin and Lisbon.

Craig Rowe joined the Channel 4 TV family last year (craigrowetv/Instagram)

He presents A Place in the Sun and loves travelling (craigrowetv/Instagram)

Craig, who is of Welsh and Jamaican heritage, has featured on QVC, Sky Travel and CBBC during his television career, and previously worked behind the cameras in production at the BBC. He grew up in Bristol and moved to London in his twenties with his younger sister, but is very much attached to his home city.

He told Bristol Live last year: "Even though I left Bristol a long time ago, it's still very much part of my life." Sharing how he took his partner to the vibrant and lively city for the first time in 2022, Craig said: "We had a really good weekend, and he really fell in love with the city as well which is brilliant."

Gushing about his dream role at Channel 4, the star told the publication: "I know it's a cliche to say but A Place in the Sun is a dream job because I've always liked travelling, I've had an interest in property since my mid-20s and obviously I've worked in TV, so it was like the three things coming together."

Woman tells of losing 29 kilos and becoming a bodybuilder in her 60s

In terms of reality TV, nothing massively appeals to Craig, though he would be up for going on one show. "If I got famous enough, [I'd do] Strictly Come Dancing," he said. "I really like dancing, I was in a dance company for a while in London and funnily enough, even though I've got quite good rhythm and quite good musicality, I'm not very good at learning choreography."

He has been with partner Paul White for six years (instagram.com/craigrowetv)

Craig is prediabetic and has to watch his blood sugar levels (Instagram)

Travel and work aren't always easy for the presenter, who received a worrying diagnosis a few years ago. He had been suffering horrendous night sweats for weeks and went to see his GP, where he was diagnosed with high blood sugar levels. "Doctors told me I was prediabetic, which came as an unpleasant surprise," he said last year.

"I know firsthand sadly how diabetes can affect you as my late grandad had suffered from diabetes, as had his brothers. I've now learnt that diabetes is two to four times more likely to affect Black or Asian people as it does white people." Determined to get his blood sugar levels down, he completely overhauled his diet and upped his fitness.

"Four months on after first going to the doctors, I went back to get my blood levels checked again and they had gone right down to 30, which is the normal range, albeit at the high end. I was so pleased," he said. During his first shoot abroad with Channel 4, he threw caution to the wind and tucked into large hotel breakfasts and lunches, followed by drinks in the evening, but later regretted it.

"I now realise I got a bit too excited," he admitted. "I was so pleased to be travelling again, but when I was shown some photos of my first trip with the team, I realised I had put weight on. I got my blood levels checked again and sure enough, I was right back up to prediabetic levels. It just goes to show you must stick to your new way of life if you don't want to be diabetic."

Christine Smith