She who dares, wins. After a testing few years, Scottish presenter Danni Menzies is throwing caution to the wind and embracing change in the City of Angels

Interview: Cheryl Caira

It turns out a conversation with Danni Menzies can get you toned abs within the month. Well, get you to the starting line at least… We’re talking about a full-body workout that celebrities have been swearing by for an age but, by coincidence, I’m only just getting around to trying.

“Reformer pilates is my favourite! If you’ve ever had any neck or back problems – which I have – reformer is just the best thing for rebuilding your core strength. If you stick to it a couple of times a week, it’ll change the shape of your body so fast. At the end of the month, your stomach will be chiselled.” 

Usually someone that exercises most days – and has previously taken on challenges like the Three Peaks and a 500km cycle across Zambia – the presenter is buzzing to get super fit again, after recently being floored with a bout of whooping cough. Danni has an energy that’s catching; it’s so get up and go that the glass starts to look half full, even if you’re usually more of a half empty kind of person. When optimism emanates, it’s no wonder so many house hunters found the confidence to buy their dream pads abroad, with Danni steering and spotlighting their way to success on A Place in the Sun – the Channel 4 programme she presented for six years.

In 2022 – a year that turned out to be life changing for the 37-year-old – Danni decided to bring the viewings in sunny climes to a close, at least in that particular guise. New challenges beckoned, and moving out of her comfort zone felt right.

“It was a great experience, but when I started the show, it was never like it was the end goal. I’ve always wanted more. The reason I wanted to be a presenter was because I’ve got loads of different interests, and I felt like it was an opportunity to tap into all of that. Unfortunately, the reality is you get put into a bit of a box , and that’s really hard to get out of. But I’m getting there slowly.”

On the day we chat, Danni is dealing with her own property next steps: getting her London flat primed to go on the market, before she embarks on one of her biggest adventures yet. After 13 years in England, Tinseltown’s swaying palm trees are calling.

“I presented for Formula 1 in Las Vegas last year. I came off stage at one point, and got approached about work by three different people. TV’s tricky in the UK at the moment, and it feels like you’re always having to push for stuff, whereas in the US, people are like: ‘How can I help you?’”

“Life had felt a bit stagnant, and I’d been thinking about moving for a while. I’m ambitious, and just felt I wasn’t getting to where I wanted to be with work or with relationships. So after that trip, I thought: why don’t I head out to LA and give this a go? I’m not really one for sitting in the same situation for too long. The next time we speak I might have a role in a movie or have fallen in love,” she laughs. 

That new Californian endeavour could be as soul-baring as stand-up comedy, something Danni recently dabbled in for the first time. “I just want to make sure I’m opening myself up to opportunities. I never really got into anything with a clear plan or a goal, and that’s probably where I’ve gone a bit wrong, to be honest. Now I’ve just released all expectations, because of the way life’s gone the past few years. I was on a pretty good trajectory work-wise, then my accident put me out of the game for a while.”

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