Mary Portas Bio | Wiki
Mary Portas is an English retail consultant and broadcaster. She is known for her retail- and business-related television shows. Mary founded her creative agency Portas and was appointed by David Cameron, the British Prime Minister, to lead a review of the future of Britain’s high streets.
Before the age of 30, she became a member of the board at Harvey Nichols. Between 2008 and 2010, Mary wrote a weekly column for consumer fashion magazine Grazia, offering career advice and mentoring.
Mary Portas Age
Mary was born on May 28, 1960, in Watford, United Kingdom. She is 62 years old.
Mary Portas Height
She is a woman of average stature and stands at a height of 5 ft 5 in (Approx. 1.65 m).
Mary Portas Family
She was born and raised into a large Irish family in a small end-of-terrace in Windsor Road in north Watford. Mary’s parents are Mary Flynn and Sam Newton. She has two siblings Tish Reid and Lawrence Newton. Her mother died of encephalitis when she was aged 16, and her father died of a heart attack two years later. This forced Mary, aged 18, to turn down a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in order to look after her younger brother.
Mary Portas Husband
Mary was married to chemical engineer and Unilever executive Graham Portas for 14 years. The couple had two children. She later lived with Melanie Rickey in Primrose Hill with her children and their son after a divorce from her husband. On March 29, 2014, Mary attended the “I Do To Equal Marriage” event, which celebrated the introduction of same-sex marriage in England and Wales.
At one minute past midnight on December 10, 2014, she and Rickey became one of the first couples in the UK to convert their civil partnership to a marriage, following a parliamentary change to the Marriage Act. The pair announced their separation on May 17, 2019.
Mary Portas Education
She went to Holy Rood Catholic Junior School in north Watford and then St Joan of Arc Catholic School in Rickmansworth. Mary turned down a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in order to look after her younger brother. She commenced her career in retail with a Saturday job in John Lewis.
Mary Portas Secret Shopper
In 2011, Mary moved from BBC to Channel 4. Her first series for the channel was Secret Shopper which aired in January 2011. Her programs are shown in over 20 international territories, including on Australia’s Lifestyle Channel.
Mary Portas Today
Since 2005, she has written a weekly column Shop!, for the Daily Telegraph magazine, reviewing shops across the country. Mary started writing the column in 2005 and it was her critiquing of shops that were the inspiration for the BBC documentary and accompanying book.
Each week, she reviews shops based on their location, shopability, service, and website – awarding retailers marks out of 10. Between 2008 and 2010, Mary wrote a weekly column for consumer fashion magazine Grazia, offering career advice and mentoring
Mary Portas Fashion
Mary is credited with turning Harvey Nichols into a leading modern fashion brand. In August 2011, she opened her own shop, called “Mary & House of Fraser” within the UK department store House of Fraser’s Oxford Street flagship.
The store stocks her first fashion collection, called ‘Mary Portas’, as well as other product collaborations including a footwear collection with Clark’s – “Mary & Clark’s”, and a hosiery collection with Charnos – “Mary & Charnos”. Portas also launched a new product, ‘Armery’, which is a hosiery-type garment for the arms. The product is designed to “banish bingo wings”.
Mary Portas Work Like A Woman | Books
Her first book, Windows – the Art of Retail Display, was published in five languages by Thames & Hudson. Her second book, How to Shop with Mary, Queen of Shops, was published by BBC Books in 2007 to accompany the television series.
The book was co-authored by Peter Cross, Josh Sims, and Melanie Rickey. Mary’s third book, Shop Girl, a memoir, was published by Doubleday in 2015. Her fourth book, Work Like A Woman was published in 2019 by Penguin. Her fifth book, Rebuild, was published in July 2021.
Mary Portas Net Worth
She earns her wealth from her career, therefore, she has amassed a fortune over the years. Mary’s estimated net worth is $3 million.
Who Is Mary Portas Married
On December 10, 2014, Mary and Melanie Rickey became one of the first couples in the UK to convert their civil partnership to a marriage, following a parliamentary change to the Marriage Act. The pair announced their separation on May 17, 2019.