Anthea Turner was hospitalised after a freak riding accident near her home.

The TV presenter and self-styled Perfect Housewife had been riding behind a friend, when the horse in front kicked its hind leg smashing into her.

Her kneecap was shattered leaving the star in agony.

Anthea, an accomplished rider, was kicked in the kneecap by the horse near her £2.2million home, which includes stables

A spokesman for the 47-year-old confirmed: 'She was out riding and the lead horse kicked back and struck her kneecap. She was taken to hospital and doctors have confirmed that her patella was shattered by the incident.'

A brace has been fitted around her knee in order to help the bone heal. Miss Turner, who is now recovering at home with property developer husband Grant Bovey, will also need physiotherapy.

The accident happened earlier this week near the couple's £2.2million, 50 acre farmhouse near Godalming, Surrey - which boasts stables and a £100,000 polo field.

Only last year, Miss Turner broke a metatarsal bone in her foot after she tripped while rehearsing the one-woman show based around her BBC3 series Perfect Housewife.

She then had to hobble around in a cast dubbed the Beckham Boot, named after the former England football captain who famously had a similar injury.

Miss Turner shot to fame in 1992 as a host of children's TV show Blue Peter.

She then hosted GMTV alongside Eamonn Holmes but the pair's frosty relationship led to a number of bust-ups both on and off the screen. He famously dubbed her 'Princess Tippy-Toes' and accused her of being a prima donna.

At the height of popularity she presented the first National Lottery draw in 1994 and then took over from Judith Chalmers on Wish You Were Here?

Her private life hit the headlines when she split up with her first husband former DJ Peter Powell for Bovey, who was married at the time with three children.

Anthea Turner and Grant Bovey in 2006. Anthea's kneecap was shattered in the accident

The couple married in 2000 but faced ridicule after wedding pictures published showing the bride and groom enjoying Cadbury's branded chocolate bars. They subsequently said they did not know the images would be released to the public.

Guests at the wedding included television presenters Gloria Hunniford, Esther Rantzen and singer Alvin Stardust.

Miss Turner has spoken of her sadness that she has not had children, but added that after the failure of numerous IVF procedures she had accepted that it would now not happen.

Her television career had been flagging and she even appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2001. However in the past two years she has had more success.

Her BBC3 show Perfect Housewife, where she taught disorganised housewives how to fold towels, clean and run their houses and prepare perfect canapés, amongst others, has proved an unexpected hit.

She has since written two books on the subject and is planning a third entitled Perfect Christmas, which aims to show how to ensure the festive season runs smoothly.