Carol Vorderman reveals heartbreaking details of growing up in poverty after dad's affair

Carol Vorderman has opened up about her tough childhood, after her parents separated when she was a baby.

The Countdown star has made a very successful life for herself, but it wasn't always easy for her.

Opening up about her childhood, Carol revealed that her parents separated when she was only a baby, and the family went through difficulties after moving back to Wales.

Writing about her experience for the Mirror, the The Pride Of Britain host said, "My dad had had an affair while [my mum] was pregnant with me and they’d separated when I was about two weeks old, so she moved back to Wales with us", she revealed.

"I shared a bed with my mum until I was nine, as there were four of us in one bedroom. There was no central heating, you’d put another jumper on.

"Every Sunday night, mum would put money in the meter to have one tub of hot water. The question was always, 'Who’s having first water?' Usually it was me, as I was the little one, then my brother, mother and sister."

"Afterwards you’d be wrapped in a towel and run towards the gas fire. Normally we’d only have one bar on, but on bath night all three would be on.

"The joy from having so much heat and knowing I smelt clean!"

But Carol's life started to change after she got an offer from Cambridge University, which she says was one of the "proudest moment" of her life.

"I’d been at a comprehensive school and I didn’t know anyone in the whole of North Wales who’d been to Cambridge.

"My college gave three offers that year to girls from Northern state schools and we’ve all ended up with our own Wikipedia pages. How about that?", she added.