Mystic Meg's hidden life: Vegan hypochondriac, 7 cats & sideline in sexy tales
After almost three decades spent sharing her other-worldly predictions, TV psychic Mystic Meg has died aged 80.
Meg's agent confirmed her death at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington in the early hours of this morning after she was admitted with the flu.
Dave Shapland, who represented the star for 34 years, told The Sun: "Without any question, she was Britain's most famous astrologer by a million miles.
"Nobody came close to Meg in that respect. She was followed by millions in this country and also around the world."
"She even became part of the English language – if a politician, somebody from showbiz or ordinary people in the street are asked a tricky question they will say Who do you think I am, Mystic Meg?' It shows what an impact she made."
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Mystic Meg has died aged 80 after being admitted to hospital with the flu (Rex)Meg - real name Margaret Lake - started her career delivering psychic readings over the phone in the early eighties.
But it was her job fronting The National Lottery that propelled her to the big time, with Meg delivering her winning predictions each week from 1994 to 2000.
But while she made a mint from her talents - commanding £200,000 a year from the now defunct News of the World - little is known about the woman behind the black bob and red lipstick or what kind of life she lived away from the spotlight...
Born Margaret Anne Lake, she was raised in a terraced house in the Lancashire town of Accrington where her Romany grandmother taught her astrology.
After studying English at the University of Leeds, she joined the News of the World as a sub-editor and worked her way up to deputy editor of its weekend colour supplement, Sunday.
Mystic Meg pictured with Andi Peters at the Live and Kicking Red Nose Awards in 1995 (Comic Relief via Getty Images)By the mid-eighties she'd changed her name to Meg Markova and was the paper's regular astrologer, where freelance photographer David Porter recalled her personality being as out-there as her appearance.
"She hardly ever spoke, and when she did it was in a strange whispered monotone," he once wrote for the Deptford Pudding blog.
"She had the whitest skin I'd ever seen, and seemed to glide silently around the office without touching the floor."
He was hand-picked by Meg to take the pictures for her brand new column, which involved a crystal ball, a black cat and a landline telephone covered in stickers of stars and moons.
Mystic Meg started out giving readings over the phone (Comic Relief via Getty Images)
Those who worked with her said she had an other-worldly presence (UK Press via Getty Images)David continued: "I thought it was a bit naff, but the picture editor told me the telephone was very important. This was the early days of premium telephone lines, and there were fortunes to be made."
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It was her predictions that brought her to the attention of National Lottery organisers - although Meg has said she naturally knew what was coming anyway.
After starting each morning with a cup of hot water and the Racing Post, she would then draw a rune for the day ahead.
"Just before the Lottery started, I got the big money rune," she previously told the New Statesman.
"On that same day, I got a call from National Lottery Live, asking me to make a prediction on the first show.
Mystic Meg was the face of the National Lottery
She correctly predicted that the job would be hers"So the runes were right, though the big money was for other people! The prediction I made came true, so I was asked back."
The 45-second Mystic Meg predicts segment was taken as seriously as the draw itself and attracted a loyal army of mega-fans - some of whom took it further than others.
The stargazer added: "My most vivid memory of the Lottery is when I was doing my prediction to camera, and out of the corner of my eye I saw a naked man running towards me.
"The security guard caught him inches before he got in front of the camera. Painted on his back were the words 'Pick my balls'."
Away from the crystal ball, the clean-living vegan harboured worries about her wrinkles and her weight.
Refusing to touch alcohol or tobacco, Meg once opened up to the Lancashire Telegraph about her health fears, revealing she pops a catalogue of supplements each day.
"I take a multi-vitamin, vitamin E, wild yam capsules and co-enzyme Q10. I also take herbal drops, echinacea to boost the immune system and gingko biloba to protect the memory," she said.
Mystic Meg worried about wrinkles and her weight (PA)"For the last 10 years, my weight has been eight stone. I am glad my weight is in the normal, healthy range for my height... like many people, I always intend to start going to the gym again.
"I try to stay with a vegan style of eating and... try to avoid all animal products. I think about nutrition. I've noticed that when I visit vegetarian shops, none of the customers are overweight."
As well as the seven cats she lived with in the posh London suburb of Notting Hill, Meg also owned several racehorses with celestial names such as Astrodonna, Astroangel and Astronova. She said the cats 'found her' and moved in of their own accord.
And she put her abilities to good use when it comes to picking a stud for her mares.
"I use my astrological skills to love-match the mares with the right stallions," she previously explained.
Meanwhile, after parting ways with the Lottery in 2000, she launched her own website offering daily predictions alongside astrology-themed jewellery and racy short stories about lusty liaisons.
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