Latest / The Real Life of WAGs / Kimberley Abbott: Motherhood, identity and life in the stands #1
Transcript
- 0:10SPEAKER_00: I was so far away from home and I had no friends and I think that's the hardest thing in football, isn't it, with the women feeling so lonely.
- 0:18SPEAKER_00: It's horrific.
- 0:19SPEAKER_00: There is so many benefits from it, but when the high is a high, it's amazing.
- 0:23SPEAKER_00: It's like every lad's young dream.
- 0:26SPEAKER_01: We just actually do try and work to like want a career for ourselves.
- 0:30SPEAKER_00: I think it's just so important for your mental mental health to have that purpose as well.
- 0:37SPEAKER_00: I get really protected.
- 0:39SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 0:40SPEAKER_00: I accept like if there's a few comments behind you, like whatever.
- 0:44SPEAKER_00: I turned round and he was eating a pie, and I just thought, you are one second away from getting that pie straight in your mouth right now.
- 0:52SPEAKER_00: It's just not decor on the dick.
- 0:53SPEAKER_00: I know it is your Welcome Kim.
- 1:07SPEAKER_01: Perfect.
- 1:08SPEAKER_01: Thank you for having me.
- 1:09SPEAKER_01: I know obviously a little bit about you.
- 1:11SPEAKER_01: Um, but as my guest, please, if you would like to kind of tell the audience a little bit about you to begin with.
- 1:19SPEAKER_00: Okay, perfect.
- 1:20SPEAKER_00: So I'm a mum of two.
- 1:22SPEAKER_00: I'm pregnant with my third right now.
- 1:24SPEAKER_00: Congratulations! I've only just announced it yesterday.
- 1:28SPEAKER_00: So it doesn't actually feel real yet.
- 1:30SPEAKER_00: I'm just thinking, how am I gonna do it?
- 1:34SPEAKER_00: But yeah, I do a bit of content creation on TikTok and on Instagram, and I'm also a partner at a footballer, and we've been together nine years.
- 1:45SPEAKER_01: Nine years now.
- 1:46SPEAKER_01: Oh my gosh.
- 1:47SPEAKER_00: I know so where are you currently living?
- 1:50SPEAKER_00: So we're in Derby at the moment.
- 1:52SPEAKER_00: We moved there about six months ago now.
- 1:55SPEAKER_00: Oh nice.
- 1:56SPEAKER_00: So we've moved around every six months for three years.
- 1:59SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
- 1:59SPEAKER_00: Um every six months or three years.
- 2:01SPEAKER_00: Every six months for three years.
- 2:03SPEAKER_00: I know.
- 2:04SPEAKER_00: With two children.
- 2:05SPEAKER_00: With two kids.
- 2:05SPEAKER_00: And then we thought, why don't we just throw another one into walk on her?
- 2:10SPEAKER_00: I know if we're not crazy enough.
- 2:12SPEAKER_00: So yeah, you could say enjoy the chaos.
- 2:16SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 2:17SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 2:17SPEAKER_00: But you wouldn't have it any other way.
- 2:19SPEAKER_00: No, literally.
- 2:20SPEAKER_00: So yeah, that is it.
- 2:22SPEAKER_00: That is it, really.
- 2:23SPEAKER_00: We're in Derby, and then yeah, we're he's settled at Sheffield now for the for the next year.
- 2:29SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
- 2:29SPEAKER_00: Um, and you're just trying to get everything ready for the baby.
- 2:32SPEAKER_01: For the next the next part of your life, literally.
- 2:36SPEAKER_01: Well, we'll go into that in more detail.
- 2:38SPEAKER_01: Um, but first, with every guest, we have a drink of choice.
- 2:42SPEAKER_01: So, what is your drink of choice for today?
- 2:45SPEAKER_00: A Hugo spirit and non-alcoholics.
- 2:48SPEAKER_01: Non-alcoholics.
- 2:50SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so I'm not always a Hugo fan, but I will try every drink.
- 2:55SPEAKER_01: So cheers to you.
- 2:58SPEAKER_01: Congratulations on the baby.
- 3:00SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much.
- 3:00SPEAKER_01: Thanks for being a guest.
- 3:02SPEAKER_01: Perfect.
- 3:03SPEAKER_01: Thank you for having me as well.
- 3:12SPEAKER_01: So going back to kind of a bit about you and your current life.
- 3:17SPEAKER_01: So where were you before?
- 3:20SPEAKER_00: Um so before Derby, we were in Southampton.
- 3:24SPEAKER_02: Oh, okay.
- 3:25SPEAKER_00: Um, Ben's still at Southampton.
- 3:27SPEAKER_00: Right.
- 3:28SPEAKER_00: Um, and then we've done loans since he's been at Southampton.
- 3:32SPEAKER_00: But before that, he was in Spain.
- 3:34SPEAKER_01: Oh, Spain, yeah.
- 3:36SPEAKER_01: And did you live over there with him?
- 3:37SPEAKER_00: Yes, but it's so strange because I literally did my goodbyes to everyone, like all my family, like, bye, I'll see you in four years.
- 3:46SPEAKER_00: Came back two months later because I couldn't get my visa sorted out.
- 3:52SPEAKER_00: And I just was like moving back in with my mum, like, we've not managed to sort my visa out yet.
- 3:57SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 3:57SPEAKER_00: So my god.
- 3:58SPEAKER_00: And then he moved to Southampton in the summer of that.
- 4:03SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
- 4:04SPEAKER_00: That window.
- 4:05SPEAKER_00: And then we've been we've been back ever since.
- 4:07SPEAKER_01: So how did you like it at Southampton?
- 4:09SPEAKER_00: Was that nice?
- 4:10SPEAKER_00: Well, we I again only spent like three to four months.
- 4:14SPEAKER_00: In the summer, yeah.
- 4:15SPEAKER_00: Spent our most of our time in a hotel.
- 4:17SPEAKER_00: No, and then we were pregnant again.
- 4:19SPEAKER_00: Like, I just feel like we're pregnant all the time.
- 4:22SPEAKER_00: Oh my gosh.
- 4:23SPEAKER_00: And then most of it in a hotel, finally sorted a house out, and then um he actually moved again in January.
- 4:32SPEAKER_00: So my baby my daughter was born.
- 4:34SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
- 4:35SPEAKER_00: A week before she was born, he moved back to Sheffield.
- 4:38SPEAKER_00: So he went to Sheffield again.
- 4:40SPEAKER_00: And then we moved up to Nottingham, middle of February, and then we've just it's just like since he's been at Blackburn, so that was like years ago when I like first met you.
- 4:51SPEAKER_01: That was when I first met you, you were there.
- 4:53SPEAKER_00: That we've just been moving ever since.
- 4:55SPEAKER_01: And how have you found that?
- 4:57SPEAKER_00: Like, wild.
- 4:58SPEAKER_00: Wild.
- 4:59SPEAKER_00: Wild.
- 4:59SPEAKER_00: I just most days I literally look like I've been dragged through hedge backwards, and then the next day I'll try and pull myself together.
- 5:07SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
- 5:08SPEAKER_00: But it's there's just so many benefits to it, but there's also so many negatives.
- 5:13SPEAKER_00: And it for me, each move we've come closer back to home.
- 5:17SPEAKER_00: Yes, that's good.
- 5:18SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 5:18SPEAKER_01: Family and yeah.
- 5:19SPEAKER_01: Yeah, literally.
- 5:21SPEAKER_01: Where do you want to?
- 5:21SPEAKER_01: Is that kind of where you want to settle down where you are now then?
- 5:24SPEAKER_00: Or yeah, so that was that sort of the basis of this move back to Derby was.
- 5:29SPEAKER_00: Nice, yeah.
- 5:30SPEAKER_00: And now I'm here because I'm used to like moving round.
- 5:34SPEAKER_00: I'm like, where where do next?
- 5:37SPEAKER_00: He's like, no, this is time.
- 5:39SPEAKER_00: No, he's like, no, Kim, this is what this is what you wanted.
- 5:43SPEAKER_00: I'm like, oh okay.
- 5:44SPEAKER_01: You never know though.
- 5:46SPEAKER_01: Yeah, literally.
- 5:47SPEAKER_01: Yeah, but I think it is like I've moved three houses in the past two years, and I've loved it.
- 5:53SPEAKER_01: Like everyone's like, oh my god, you're moving away from your family.
- 5:55SPEAKER_01: But I think and there's not many other industries where you would be able to move so freely, and I think it is fun to experience new places, learn about new things, and yeah, I think it is really good.
- 6:08SPEAKER_01: Where was you before here?
- 6:09SPEAKER_01: So I was obviously from Stoke, and then we moved to Hertfordshire, and then we've moved um to Kent.
- 6:17SPEAKER_01: I just love moving around.
- 6:18SPEAKER_01: I'm like, I mean, we've only been in this one two weeks, and I'm like, oh, I wonder where we'll go next.
- 6:23SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's just exciting, isn't it?
- 6:25SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 6:25SPEAKER_00: Once all the stress is out of the way, you have a brand new house you have to do up, and now it's like oh my god, designer.
- 6:33SPEAKER_00: It gets exciting.
- 6:34SPEAKER_01: Yes.
- 6:35SPEAKER_01: Tell us a bit about well, firstly, how me and you met.
- 6:39SPEAKER_01: So I think we met nine years ago now.
- 6:42SPEAKER_01: Was it just when you got with Ben?
- 6:43SPEAKER_00: Yeah, because we used to go to Stoke like every weekend.
- 6:47SPEAKER_00: And I'm from Stoke, so yeah, so Ben's from Stoke, and then he used to go back most weekends because Blackburn's not that far from Stoke, so it was like an hour and a half, and then we'd go back down, see his friends, see everyone, then come back up.
- 7:03SPEAKER_01: So yeah, I think we met as we were just getting together because I can remember.
- 7:07SPEAKER_01: Um, I don't know if it was Ben or like one of his friends showed me a photo of you on your phone, and I looked at it, I was like, Oh my god, you are absolutely stunning.
- 7:16SPEAKER_01: And then he put the photo.
- 7:17SPEAKER_01: Was you in like a nightclub, you two, the one of the first photos that you had?
- 7:21SPEAKER_01: And I was like, he is with a model.
- 7:24SPEAKER_01: Oh my god, I love that.
- 7:28SPEAKER_01: And then obviously we met, and was the first time we met, we went to the casino.
- 7:32SPEAKER_00: Probably, yeah.
- 7:34SPEAKER_01: I was like, oh god, probably a few drinks, casinos.
- 7:39SPEAKER_01: Obviously, we met nine years ago just as you were meeting Ben.
- 7:41SPEAKER_01: So, how kind of did you and Ben meet?
- 7:44SPEAKER_01: How has this all started?
- 7:46SPEAKER_00: Well, it's actually a weird, it's a weird story because we me and the girls went on holiday to Ibiza, and I'd never known anything about Ben or anything like that, but on our like deal, so it was like a two-e deal, two-e deal holiday to Ibiza, there were these guys from Stoke, they were literally in the same hotel as us and everything, and they were just talking because my friends were single at the time, um, and they were saying, Where are you from?
- 8:12SPEAKER_00: and stuff like this, and then they was like, Oh, we know someone who's from who go who goes to Nottingham now, Ben Brayton.
- 8:18SPEAKER_00: And me and my friends are like, No clue who this guy is.
- 8:22SPEAKER_00: And it's a bit of a funny name as well to know how to pronounce at the end.
- 8:26SPEAKER_00: So I was just like, and it sort of went in one ear, out the other, and then like three months, four months later, like I saw him in a club, and then he just kept staring, he just kept staring at me, and I was thinking either I look really good or I'm really drunk and embarrassed.
- 8:44SPEAKER_00: I thought, I'm gonna go with the first one, yeah.
- 8:47SPEAKER_00: But then, like a few days later, he messaged me, like, and then we started talking from there.
- 8:53SPEAKER_00: Yeah, um, and then it's just so strange that it's like putting those two together.
- 8:57SPEAKER_01: Imagine if you would never have heard his name as well.
- 8:59SPEAKER_01: It's like fate, like you've heard his name, and then it comes into life.
- 9:03SPEAKER_00: And even when I told the girls, I was like, This guy's messaged me, and I think it's the guy that the guys when we're in an Ibiza was mentioning, and they were like, How weird is that?
- 9:12SPEAKER_00: It's so weird, but yeah, it's it was a really like a sort of invisible string.
- 9:16SPEAKER_01: Invisible string without the yeah, he didn't know that, but that was so good, yeah.
- 9:22SPEAKER_01: Lovely.
- 9:23SPEAKER_01: Congratulations again on the pregnancy.
- 9:26SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
- 9:27SPEAKER_01: How you kind of find in two babies already, and now you're pregnant again.
- 9:34SPEAKER_00: To be fair, I've been we've been so busy with the first two and not telling anyone about the third.
- 9:41SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 9:41SPEAKER_00: It sort of made me forget.
- 9:42SPEAKER_00: And now I'm feeling kicked.
- 9:44SPEAKER_00: So I'm like, Oh definitely someone in there.
- 9:47SPEAKER_00: I can't forget about you, I can't forget about you anymore.
- 9:50SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 9:50SPEAKER_00: So it has been it has been easier than I thought, but also I'm not heavily pregnant yet, so it's gonna come to a point where it will be, it will be hard.
- 10:02SPEAKER_00: But also I find like the more pregnancies I have, yeah, the easier it gets.
- 10:06SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know kind of what you're doing, and because it's all coming like I know what's coming, I know the body changes, I know like the postpartum hormones after.
- 10:16SPEAKER_00: And for me, zero to one was harder than one to two.
- 10:19SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 10:19SPEAKER_00: And I'm hoping that it's the same for two to three.
- 10:25SPEAKER_00: I've come too deep into it now to tell myself any different.
- 10:30SPEAKER_00: So yeah, I'm 18 weeks, so I know and you've found out the gender.
- 10:35SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we're having another boy, so it's nice.
- 10:38SPEAKER_00: Ben is so excited.
- 10:39SPEAKER_00: Uh for him, he's building his own little team around him.
- 10:43SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and for me, I feel like I'm gonna be outnumbered by boys with my daughter soon.
- 10:49SPEAKER_00: So, but this is will be our last one.
- 10:50SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think no, yeah, this is definitely my last one.
- 10:54SPEAKER_00: I'm not doing it again.
- 10:55SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and then have you got names kind of that you're thinking about yet?
- 10:59SPEAKER_00: Or I don't know, because in pregnancy, my names go so weird, and Ben's like, we cannot call our child that.
- 11:06SPEAKER_00: And then after I'm like, Thank God you said that, because we'd be coming out with some of the most random names ever.
- 11:14SPEAKER_01: I mean, I love your two um children's names.
- 11:16SPEAKER_01: Is it Mason and Honey?
- 11:17SPEAKER_01: Mason and Honey, yeah.
- 11:19SPEAKER_00: I love that.
- 11:19SPEAKER_00: Honey is the cutest name ever.
- 11:21SPEAKER_00: Everyone says that now.
- 11:22SPEAKER_00: It's so nice.
- 11:23SPEAKER_00: When I was naming her, everyone was like, Honey, really?
- 11:26SPEAKER_01: I was thinking, just shh yeah, no, it's gorgeous.
- 11:30SPEAKER_01: It's a gorgeous name.
- 11:31SPEAKER_00: No, it's cute, isn't it?
- 11:32SPEAKER_00: Yeah, really nice.
- 11:33SPEAKER_00: Girly name.
- 11:34SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so it'll just be you two against the boys.
- 11:36SPEAKER_00: Yeah, oh my god, but I know she'll be able to hold her own.
- 11:39SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
- 11:40SPEAKER_00: Because she's bossing Mason Round already, yeah.
- 11:42SPEAKER_00: And what's the age gap?
- 11:43SPEAKER_00: Um, so it's like exactly two years between Mason and Honey, and then two years, one month with this one.
- 11:50SPEAKER_00: Oh yeah, the birthdays are close, aren't they?
- 11:52SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so it's expensive, it's expensive a few months for the Christmas, yeah.
- 11:58SPEAKER_00: Jan when everyone's not getting any money, and then Peb as well.
- 12:01SPEAKER_00: And then mine in March, too.
- 12:03SPEAKER_00: You can't forget about mine in March.
- 12:05SPEAKER_00: Ben.
- 12:05SPEAKER_00: And then Ben's in April, but yeah, that's mine.
- 12:09SPEAKER_01: Do you think that um Mason is is he kind of getting into the world of football?
- 12:14SPEAKER_00: Is he oh my god, yeah.
- 12:16SPEAKER_00: Really?
- 12:16SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 12:16SPEAKER_00: It's like he's three, he's three years old, and I take him to football on a Sunday.
- 12:22SPEAKER_01: Oh, do you?
- 12:23SPEAKER_00: And he scores a goal and he puts his finger on his lips and he points up to the sky and he runs past all the parents.
- 12:30SPEAKER_00: No, and I'm so proud, but also I'm like, Am I is that a bit cocky?
- 12:35SPEAKER_00: You've got that from your dad.
- 12:38SPEAKER_00: Oh my god, is this a but a sign of what's to come?
- 12:41SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and then he like goes in goal, he does everything, yeah, and he does Cold Palmer, he does the cold one, I guess.
- 12:48SPEAKER_00: And then you've got that for the rest of your life, then yeah, literally, I've got and I've got it again with another one.
- 12:54SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so it's gonna be busy, busy, a busy life.
- 12:58SPEAKER_01: But I mean, I think it's so good for Ben, like, because he is so proud he's representing his country, like having now a younger him that could potentially do the same.
- 13:06SPEAKER_01: I bet he's also so proud of that.
- 13:08SPEAKER_00: Literally, and when he because Mason's in into every sports, but when I know when Ben takes Mason to football, because when he's here, that's their thing.
- 13:16SPEAKER_00: Um, and he'll go take him to do all of his sports.
- 13:20SPEAKER_00: And when I take it, Mason's like, I want daddy, I want daddy, and I'm like, I know, but you've got me on me, so and it makes you feel so sad that but then obviously, like to Mason, Ben is his idol, yeah.
- 13:35SPEAKER_00: All of this stuff.
- 13:36SPEAKER_00: Wow, he's so in it, he's only three.
- 13:38SPEAKER_00: So you go to all of his games, yeah.
- 13:40SPEAKER_00: And he goes Chef United, and he says it really for some reason he says it really northern.
- 13:45SPEAKER_00: He says United.
- 13:47SPEAKER_00: Like me then, it sounds more burnly to me.
- 13:53SPEAKER_00: I'm like, how can you got the accent when you're used born?
- 13:57SPEAKER_00: Oh so yeah, he's good.
- 13:59SPEAKER_00: He's so into football blessing.
- 14:01SPEAKER_01: Oh, good, and how does it feel kind of with your children?
- 14:05SPEAKER_01: And then Ben's now represented Chile, like how does that make you and that kind of your family feel excited?
- 14:13SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so it is so nice, and especially with it being such like a different part of the world, like it makes everything that bit more special as well.
- 14:22SPEAKER_00: So when we do get to watch him play for Chile, because at the minute it's in the night, whereas before we actually got to go to America to watch, yes, what was that like?
- 14:33SPEAKER_00: So nice, yeah.
- 14:34SPEAKER_00: We went to America for a month and I it was just amazing.
- 14:38SPEAKER_00: Oh my gosh.
- 14:39SPEAKER_00: And just to be like in the stadiums of that many people, yeah, and just be to be surrounded by like a different language and different passion, and it's just so nice.
- 14:50SPEAKER_00: And then to hear the like national anthem of Chile, I mean, I don't know much of what that's yeah, but you can just like really feel the emotion, yeah.
- 15:02SPEAKER_00: And I was just like, I don't cry it much, but like I can feel myself crying now.
- 15:07SPEAKER_00: So I feel like his I feel like when Mason grows up and see his dad has played for like such an amazing sport and an amazing team, it'll be it'll be so cool.
- 15:17SPEAKER_01: Oh, that is amazing, and I think it's like it's good for them to learn different cultures, and yeah, it's just an amazing experience, even for the children to be around that.
- 15:26SPEAKER_01: It's yeah, yeah, and incredible for Ben to do it as well.
- 15:29SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that you are all so proud.
- 15:31SPEAKER_00: He's so he's he is so lucky to be like to have uh done everything he's done and got to like travel to all of these places, and then for Mason to see that is just and honey as well, but honey's just honey's just so young right now, she just doesn't have an idea, yeah.
- 15:47SPEAKER_00: But yeah, he's he's very lucky to be able to watch his dad in those in those experiences.
- 15:52SPEAKER_01: I can imagine.
- 15:53SPEAKER_01: So, enough about the boys about you now is what we want to hear.
- 15:58SPEAKER_01: So, kind of tell me about your career.
- 16:01SPEAKER_01: So I know when I met you that you were kind of really big on Instagram and I only had a few followers, so I was like, oh my god, you've got like so many followers, you're doing all this incredible stuff on social media.
- 16:12SPEAKER_01: Kind of how did that come about?
- 16:14SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
- 16:15SPEAKER_00: I don't even know.
- 16:16SPEAKER_00: Like me and my friend were just we were just going out literally every weekend.
- 16:21SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that like it.
- 16:22SPEAKER_00: I I would say after we got home from that time in Ibita, it was like a really sort of turbulent time.
- 16:29SPEAKER_00: Yeah, my parents got divorced, so like I was just going out every weekend, yeah, like trying to forget about the house.
- 16:36SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and then done all of these outfit pictures, all of these different things, like it looks so fun, and like we just both all of my friends that at that time that enjoyed going out, we all like the same thing, so we all like going out for nice drinks, dressing up nice, and doing all of those posts.
- 16:54SPEAKER_00: It would just was a nice time to like get sent things and things like that.
- 16:58SPEAKER_00: And I was at uni then, so I was doing criminology at uni.
- 17:01SPEAKER_00: Oh, were you?
- 17:02SPEAKER_00: Yeah, met Ben after my second year, and then carried on after so finished uni, graduated, and then went into hair at that time.
- 17:13SPEAKER_00: I met you.
- 17:14SPEAKER_00: I was probably doing my hair course then, um, and then I was doing nails as well.
- 17:19SPEAKER_00: So, how come you didn't go into criminology?
- 17:22SPEAKER_01: Was it just something that you wanted to?
- 17:23SPEAKER_00: I don't really I loved it, and like I still do like it.
- 17:27SPEAKER_00: I love that that side of things, um, but it was just for me, the careers whilst I'm with Ben.
- 17:35SPEAKER_01: I'm moving around so much.
- 17:36SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
- 17:37SPEAKER_00: And it was just it just felt like just something wasn't pulling me in that direction.
- 17:42SPEAKER_00: Um, and then I went into hair because I I've always wanted to work, I've always wanted to have my own thing.
- 17:47SPEAKER_00: And I've but I have always wanted to be with Ben as well.
- 17:52SPEAKER_00: So it's trying to find a medium to have both.
- 17:57SPEAKER_00: So then I did hair and I did nails, and then it didn't work out as well as I'd hoped.
- 18:04SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 18:05SPEAKER_00: Career one crossed.
- 18:08SPEAKER_00: Next one.
- 18:09SPEAKER_00: Um, and then that's when COVID happened.
- 18:12SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 18:12SPEAKER_00: Um, and then I went into recruitment.
- 18:14SPEAKER_00: Oh, did you?
- 18:15SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 18:16SPEAKER_00: Oh my gosh.
- 18:17SPEAKER_00: And then I got made redundant.
- 18:18SPEAKER_00: So career two, yeah, crossed.
- 18:20SPEAKER_00: Next one.
- 18:22SPEAKER_00: Um, and then what else did I go into?
- 18:24SPEAKER_00: I went into private care for the elderly throughout COVID.
- 18:29SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 18:30SPEAKER_00: Wow, I did not know any of this.
- 18:31SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so it's just like it's mental.
- 18:34SPEAKER_00: Went into that and then found another job after so I did that for about three to four months and then found a job in technology sales.
- 18:44SPEAKER_00: And this is so interesting.
- 18:45SPEAKER_01: I think so many people think that like we just sit at home and do nothing but there's so many we just actually do try and work and we do like want a career for ourselves.
- 18:54SPEAKER_00: It's that I think it's just so important for your like your mental mental health like to have that purpose as well.
- 19:01SPEAKER_00: And then um I went in and then I went from technology sales to tech recruitment, and then this is when Ben first went to Chile.
- 19:10SPEAKER_00: Right, okay.
- 19:10SPEAKER_00: So I was in Blackburn on my own for like three months, um, whilst he went he went there.
- 19:16SPEAKER_00: And then at that time he went really big in Chile, and then so his family were like, he might move, he might do all of these things.
- 19:26SPEAKER_00: Like, I think you need to be a bit more sort of versatile, yeah, otherwise you might end up staying in Manchester on your own.
- 19:33SPEAKER_00: So then I ended up quitting that to go into modelling.
- 19:39SPEAKER_00: Amazing.
- 19:39SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so I did nails at home again, yeah, and then went into modelling.
- 19:43SPEAKER_00: And then how did you find modelling?
- 19:45SPEAKER_00: I do it depends on the day, yeah.
- 19:48SPEAKER_00: It depends if I got the casting or not.
- 19:50SPEAKER_00: But the first one I actually got was maternity and I was pregnant.
- 19:56SPEAKER_00: Oh my god.
- 19:57SPEAKER_00: So maybe that lady who like casted me is psychic because it was like and she didn't know.
- 20:03SPEAKER_00: No, she didn't know, she was only like 20, so it's just like mental, really, when you think about it.
- 20:09SPEAKER_00: And did you enjoy doing it then?
- 20:11SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I did I did love it, but I was so early on into it to really get like a grasp of it.
- 20:17SPEAKER_00: Like I did a few test shoots, did a like the maternity side, and then found out I was pregnant.
- 20:24SPEAKER_00: I was like, another turbo.
- 20:26SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's like here we go again, another one crossed, yeah.
- 20:31SPEAKER_00: And then now I've had the kids, and then and now I'm going into performing pilates.
- 20:37SPEAKER_00: Yes.
- 20:37SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 20:37SPEAKER_01: So how did that come about?
- 20:39SPEAKER_01: That's totally different, kind of to everything that you've done.
- 20:41SPEAKER_01: So, what's the kind of idea and inspiration behind this one?
- 20:45SPEAKER_00: Well, I don't to be fair, I love everything.
- 20:48SPEAKER_00: So I've never really known what I want to do.
- 20:51SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 20:51SPEAKER_00: So I'm trying to stick to the things I enjoy and make a career out of that.
- 20:56SPEAKER_01: I think that is the most kind of important.
- 20:58SPEAKER_01: I I watched a podcast the other day where it said, like, if you want to be successful, you have to do something that you enjoy.
- 21:04SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 21:04SPEAKER_00: So yeah, I think that's really good that you're isn't it doesn't it does obviously feel like work, but it doesn't like feel like it too much, sort of thing.
- 21:12SPEAKER_00: So I'm gonna I've started that and then I've got the written and the practical still to do.
- 21:17SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 21:17SPEAKER_00: Um, and then after this baby's born, I'd like to go into sort of post and post and prenatal, stereform Pilates, and offer more one-to-one sort of instructing from either home or like a studio.
- 21:33SPEAKER_00: Um, because everywhere I am right now, yeah, I can't find pregnancy classes that I can do.
- 21:39SPEAKER_00: There's only one in a Thursday afternoon, and it's like there's just such a big gap in the market for it.
- 21:44SPEAKER_00: Yeah, where we where we live anyway, because I know other places do them.
- 21:48SPEAKER_00: Um but I did it when I was pregnant with Mason and I've literally loved it ever since.
- 21:52SPEAKER_00: So I just feel like it's such a good thing to and it can work around the kids as well.
- 21:56SPEAKER_01: So I think it's a nice space for women to come to you, especially if you're doing one.
- 22:00SPEAKER_01: and ones like yeah when when women are pregnant it might be harder for them to kind of get out and stuff so yeah I think that's amazing what you're doing.
- 22:06SPEAKER_00: Yeah nice it's a n it's a nice sort of thing to go into.
- 22:09SPEAKER_01: Yeah definitely and it relates to you and you can kind of take it from one to ones you can go as kind of yeah broad and expand however much you like with that.
- 22:19SPEAKER_01: So yeah excited to see definitely yeah as well definitely I passed if not no one will see any of this on it to be joined your again what's next we do now but no I think that is even just for anyone kind of listening I think seeing how much the effort you've put into all your different jobs and now you're kind of going into um Pilates I think it is so inspiring that you're not just kind of doing nothing you are wanting to pursue your own career you've got like your own own sort of want yeah yeah I think yeah that's that is really good to hear and I hope obviously your Pilates goes really well and everything goes across yeah it's a long term career for you but yeah oh you'll have to come into a class I will yeah hopefully when I'm pregnant as well do you want babies or anything yeah we do definitely want babies so you have names and stuff like that oh I love that got names got every single thing I mean Alfie's just like going along with the flow but I'm like this this this this this yeah you've got it already I want two girls do you yeah I don't I wouldn't mind a boy as well uh I mean I wouldn't either gender would be amazing but yeah do you because do you have brothers and sisters two sisters and one brother and the all younger and the oldest so I've always been around um children and then even kind of at the club that I'm at now near every single person's got babies so I'm constantly around babies and I just love them.
- 23:48SPEAKER_01: Yeah so yeah I do love love babies and children and yeah yeah I want a big family I think three is a great number yeah you've got like the maternal instinct yeah yeah but I don't think four I'm one of four and I'm like four is too much like I don't think I could deal with that guy no I don't think I can do four I don't think I can you never know I'm not doing four I'm not I've just written down I'm making sign it I'm not doing four I can't do it is Instagram now still like a career focus is that kind of like an income kind of thing for you or is that still a focus or do you just do that in your own spare time just for enjoyment?
- 24:29SPEAKER_00: I'm sort of my own spare time now for um I don't I don't get paid from it anymore.
- 24:35SPEAKER_00: I did when I first got into modelling and then I was with an Instagram agency um and that went it did actually go well and then obviously having a baby yeah um zero to one completely knocked me sideways it was like my confidence completely went yeah I put on five stone in my pregnancy yeah so like I was really not really down but because I've just had like the best thing that ever happened to me.
- 25:02SPEAKER_00: Yeah but it was just dealing with all of the postpartum emotions and not not knowing what was coming and then being so far away from family.
- 25:14SPEAKER_00: Yeah and literally the day before we had Mason Ben had signed for Spain the day before so my gosh in that weekend we were we had committed to moving abroad and then we was becoming first time parents and then I had to think about leaving my mum and me and my mum are so close.
- 25:35SPEAKER_00: So after that that sort of I didn't really have time to focus on Instagram I was just focusing yeah I was just focusing on being a mum and trying to like not be so down about the external things of what had changed within me when I've got such a beautiful baby at home.
- 25:53SPEAKER_00: So yeah I would I do want to get back into it and do more more on there.
- 25:58SPEAKER_00: Yeah so I'm sort of using TikTok more to help me do that watching your TikToks it's just so much easier do you not find day in life little vlogs I love watching those.
- 26:07SPEAKER_01: Yeah it's just it doesn't have to be perfect no it doesn't and I think people like seeing the kind of raw everyday life yeah and it is nice to see kind of like behind the not the filters but behind the like edited Instagram there are like there is a real life on TikTok that we will see so no I do love seeing all that as well but I do love seeing everything so fancy on Instagram yeah it's nice to have like both the differences in it so hopefully one day it can be it again another one I'll be like let me just scroll that cross out maybe a question mark.
- 26:45SPEAKER_01: Fingers crossed what would you say to kind of mums who have been in a similar position to you that have struggles after pregnancy what kind of advice would you give to them because I know so many women do go through it and it is such a normal thing but I think people are scared to either speak about it or scared to see that that is something that they could potentially go through.
- 27:05SPEAKER_00: So what kind of would you definitely definitely speak to people because I was not worried but sometimes I think I I've always had anxiety so I was just thinking it's just me being anxious.
- 27:18SPEAKER_00: But now when I think about it like the things you're being anxious about you probably should have spoken to like someone about whether it be your friends or your family and also to not to know that this isn't forever.
- 27:31SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
- 27:31SPEAKER_00: So to just enjoy it all because like one day they're gonna be a toddler and smacking you in the face.
- 27:39SPEAKER_00: So you're gonna completely forget about the emotion like the because the emotions are so high and so low like it's crazy.
- 27:46SPEAKER_00: You I I remember having Mason and like being on top of the world and then feeling no pain and then all of a sudden they're moving my legs and I can't and I can't feel them and then like you brought back to earth like you you've had massive surgery on your abdomen and then you've got to recover from that have a newborn and a newborn so yeah I'd definitely say speak speak to as many friends as you can and get yourself get yourself out because so many other mums do go through it as well just mainly they don't really speak about it that much I'd say no definitely and I think it is good to for women to know that it is so normal and most women do go through after pregnancy.
- 28:25SPEAKER_00: Yeah literally so many differences like I can remember with Mason I woke up absolutely sweating in the night and like the hormonal changes like night sweats like it's everything's just so brand new.
- 28:38SPEAKER_00: Yeah and I wouldn't even know how that would feel like but I can only imagine what it would be like it's gross it's so bad but yeah it's it is all it is all yeah it is all lovely and it does it does go.
- 28:50SPEAKER_00: Obviously we've spoken about the struggles of postpartum have you had an experience in your life where you kind of struggled anything other than that um probably when we actually first moved to Blackburn um so obviously that was like I'd probably say around a year or so um after it was actually six months after we'd met um but for me that was like a year after my parents had fully divorced.
- 29:18SPEAKER_00: Oh really so leaving my mum was even though it was only two hours away yeah I've always been a mummy mummy's girl so I'm the biggest mummy's girl ever.
- 29:28SPEAKER_00: So like when you leave your mum it's horrible isn't it and then to feel like I'm leaving her on her own as well.
- 29:34SPEAKER_00: Um that also but then I had so much time like I didn't work I was at home all day every day and I was just going round and rules in my head and just like I've always been the worst person for being anxious about things and overthinking myself out of things.
- 29:52SPEAKER_00: Yeah same and it and it just got to a point where I would just it I it consumed me like it was so bad.
- 29:59SPEAKER_00: And then when I'd you know when you'd go out in social situations I'd just sort of binge drink so I couldn't I I couldn't even think of it what I was saying to people because it would make me so anxious talking to someone and then I'd say that got to a point where I'd get so much anxiety over it especially being hungover and it I always saw everyone else have these hangovers or go out and be able to have fun and not think about what they've said or anything like that.
- 30:30SPEAKER_00: And it would literally affect me for like four to five days and not working and being two hours away from everyone I was literally just sitting at home like really really down and it got to a point where Ben to be fair not a lot of people know this probably just my mum Ben and two of my closest friends but he was like you are literally going to make yourself ill if you carry on like this and then like I just had to cut out cut out drinking for a bit it wasn't like do you know when you're not drinking every day but do you know when you go out it's a lot and you drink like you're not so I don't want to come across like an alcoholic I'd be the exact same while I bet you it wasn't ever a problem with drinking alcoholic side no yeah it was just like being so anxious and being consumed with in my anxiety I couldn't have a conversation with people sober that I didn't know and in football or in that industry where you're meeting so many new people I was just it just got to a point where I just had to like really cut down on what I was doing when I was out have a water and then sort of I went I did go to therapy for a bit for it and then I was I think I went to one session and then it just ended up in me crying the whole time and I was like I was thinking in my head like if I just cut out the alcohol I don't need to do this.
- 31:51SPEAKER_00: And did that help the alcohol like cutting alcohol out so I only drink I don't do shots no I just I I can drink yeah I can drink like a proseco I can drink wine I can drink a Hugo spritz yeah but in those days where everyone's like shots clubbing all of this stuff when I could do that in the right headspace amazing but when like I I was so far away from home and I had no friends and I was dealing with the obviously a divorce of your parents like yeah I feel like that just over overcame overcame me.
- 32:23SPEAKER_00: Yeah and did you feel lonely then yeah I think that's the hardest thing in football isn't it with or even any sport with the women feeling so lonely.
- 32:32SPEAKER_00: It's horrific.
- 32:33SPEAKER_00: Yeah literally and if you're not in a good head space it can feel like it it it can just feel like it does consume you so after Ben said to me like you're you're literally going to make yourself ill then we like completely cut it down.
- 32:47SPEAKER_00: So he was your support network at the same time then so when we was like on nights out yeah I don't want to be like oh I'm not drinking and like make a big thing why aren't you drinking because then people think all of these are you pregnant you this are you that yeah so it was just like oh my god I can't do shots I'll be on the floor like trying to make like a fun of it because it it even though it's like it was like sort of a downtime just sort of making light of it and of the situation.
- 33:11SPEAKER_00: Yeah and I definitely think from having kids that has brought out so so much more of a confidence side in me because I've had to have nine months of just completely being myself yeah and having these conversations with people that aren't are just normal conversations and you don't need to think everything.
- 33:28SPEAKER_00: And has your anxiety got better since having children oh my god a hundred percent has it yeah and you I don't I don't know why I think it was just a phase in my life where th something triggered it.
- 33:39SPEAKER_00: Something triggered that social side which could have then potentially been the divorce and yeah yeah and there I so yeah it just triggered it but yeah now now when I go out I can drink Hugo spritz and not cry anymore and I can handle myself and I don't have so much anxiety the next day.
- 33:55SPEAKER_01: Yeah and I think it's just at the end of the day we are literally living on a rock yeah yeah exactly like who cares anymore I need to remember that all the time we're living on a rock stop getting anxious do you get really anxious yeah my anxiety is horrific really bad like too much is in time but then like I I say to myself like you need to stop and it's all in your head and I know it's in my head but I can't stop and it's yeah really but but after I've had a drink it's even worse.
- 34:23SPEAKER_01: Have you had any other kind of hard times juggling being a woman of two and your career kind of how are you coping with all that and now being pregnant again?
- 34:34SPEAKER_00: So luckily the last three years I haven't had to focus on the career so like completely grateful to Ben for that.
- 34:42SPEAKER_00: And then now like I'm getting into things on my side again and enjoying it.
- 34:47SPEAKER_00: Yeah it's just so funny because I never realise how much mums have to do and then until you you're a mum and you realise everything is based around them.
- 34:57SPEAKER_00: So the this morning I've booked Mason into breakfast club after school club thinking I'm so I'm organised.
- 35:04SPEAKER_00: I take him in half seven in the morning and he's in his full school uniform I get in and the whole class not whole class but his age class is in full PE kits I just thought oh poor Mason yeah literally I was like it is just typical like typical the one day yeah I thought I'm organised one we've woke up late two my daughter's been up all night with hand foot and mouth from yesterday at nursery yeah then I think I'm organised when I'm all sorted wrong for you kit and I'm just like it's just like one of those things.
- 35:39SPEAKER_01: Yeah it's one I'm sure every single mum can relate to that I'm sure I mean my mum's done it to me and she's probably done it to all my brother and sisters so that is like although it's fun it's a normal thing.
- 35:49SPEAKER_00: Yeah it just happens isn't it so I just felt like you just feel get such bad mum guilt don't you and then like you say it happens to every single child.
- 35:57SPEAKER_00: Yeah so many mum are gonna be like done that done that chilly and that's more on like um non-uniform day or something yeah you're the kid that goes in with the uniform on honestly that will be me spent soon yeah no it's crazy it is mental yeah you've got all that to come out I feel like it's just gonna get harder I didn't want to say words but it's just gonna get harder it's just gonna get more isn't it more intense.
- 36:23SPEAKER_01: Yeah my mum says to me all the time you think toddlers are hard wait till they've got hormones wait till the teenagers oh my god my sister's in the teenagers now and she is hard work is so yeah how old is she 15 my brother's 13 and my sister's 15 so them two together with all their hormones testosterone I'm like wow yeah and I'm literally thousands not thousands hundreds of miles away four hours away and I was still getting phone calls as the big sister so I can't even imagine how yours would be as a mum of three as well and do they come to you as like the mediator yes yeah and I'm like have you rang mum no then not my problem right now so yeah well it's it's it's like swings and roundabouts isn't it yeah and then you get the most amazing times with them as well yeah literally literally like Mason the other day when he gives you a cuddle in the morning or like he shouts Mamma Mamma in the morning for me to come get him and he's just like this is this is why sort of thing like this is all worth everything that you've ever been through with yeah so yeah it's amazing amazing just quickly kind of touching on being in the industry I know Ben has got kind of a lot a big high following I know you've kind of got a high following as well how do you then deal with any negativity in the public eye luckily to be fair I haven't had a huge amount um I think Ben when he was at black this this is no whatever I say now is nothing of Ben's words.
- 38:01SPEAKER_00: Okay he would get power because Ben is just like he understands it's football you understand it's the opinions and he doesn't think anything into it it does affect him mentally like it would anyone in any industry but he obviously sees the how many benefits there are from yeah 100% from it.
- 38:19SPEAKER_00: So he just doesn't pay attention to it but I remember at Blackburn there was like a really a really a really down time for Ben I mean I only met him at the end of Forest going into Blackburn.
- 38:33SPEAKER_00: So that was the first time where I'd really seen what football can do to someone when he had a hard time at Blackburn um having obviously the fans on your back because they constantly yeah fans are fans and they they they have their opinions and that's that's what they're entitled to but obviously when you're getting it in person at the stadium online comments all of this stuff as a 19 year old guy can be a lot and I remember I remember saying we we was in Stoke and he literally had his he was just we was just lying on the bed and he had his like head in my literal thighs and I was like you don't have to carry on you know like you don't have to do this if this is too much.
- 39:16SPEAKER_00: They don't see behind the scenes and behind closed doors of how upset and how hurtful these comments can be so yeah there is so many benefits from it but when the high is a high it's amazing it's like every lad's young dream every it's what they want and then Ben would have never gave up football though like he didn't even respond to that question.
- 39:39SPEAKER_00: He was sort of like why on earth are you asking me that just let me have the moment yeah but it's it's just mental like I'm when you're in the stands and sometimes like away games are the hardest if they're having a real rough time like they're horrific but then I also love away games so much.
- 39:57SPEAKER_00: Yeah when it's like when it the atmosphere's good I remember I remember um I get really protective I accept like if there's a few comments behind you like whatever.
- 40:10SPEAKER_00: And then but this guy was just like really going in on Ben and I was just thinking like I'm also stood with his family this is not much as it's not nice to me it's not nice for his family too.
- 40:20SPEAKER_00: Yeah and you can't you can't say anything you just want to turn around be like I know I turned round and he was eating a pie and I just thought you are one second away from getting that pie straight in your mouth right now it's just not decorum the dick you can't do it as a girl remember the pie in a fancy literally and every time like Ven's just always like just ignore it just don't it's so hard.
- 40:45SPEAKER_01: Yeah literally because he's it I guess Alvis the same they're just so used to it aren't they they are so used to it and I think Alvis had some horrendous comments and like stuff made out made up about him and I just want to be like no actually this is true this is true but you can't you have to hold back and I and you have to just not look and just ignore it but yeah I think it can be horri.
- 41:06SPEAKER_01: I mean it's horrible to look at it's horrible to hear but yeah we just gotta keep keep saying and keep yeah because if he scores a goal then everyone loves him.
- 41:15SPEAKER_01: Yeah we always have to remember that don't we but yeah I think as their partners it is hard for us seeing that side that no one else sees so on the kind of negative side how do you and your family handle any of those situations um just like you say just ignore it.
- 41:35SPEAKER_00: You can't really focus on it because at the end of the day it's they're entitled to your opinion everyone can do it.
- 41:42SPEAKER_00: Everyone's allowed it.
- 41:43SPEAKER_00: Yeah um and then I just hope he scores a goal and then I hope fancy put something nice after but it's just one of those things isn't it it's just football's just full of banter yeah they just there's no sort of limits and then is that the same with like I don't know if they have a loss or like when Ben does move like how do you kind of who is your support network to help you get through the the hard and difficult times um to be fair we both have really supportive parents so that is like a big benefit my mum helps so much with the kids.
- 42:18SPEAKER_00: Yeah I don't know how I would have got by doing on all these moves yeah I probably wouldn't have been able to I well I probably wouldn't I wouldn't have been able to yeah yeah it's just you have to have parents around you yeah definitely have you had help with when you've moved as well my family live I said four hours away so it's a lot for them to come down and I'm lucky Alfie's family are amazing so yeah they are I couldn't ask for a better family from Alfie's family as well but when my mum does come down it's so nice to just have like family faces around have your family around um so yeah my mum has always been so so supportive and so is Alfie's family so I think having your family there helps so much and I wouldn't know what to do without any of them so yeah it makes such a difference yeah I think they love coming to watch the football as well like my little brother loves watching Alfie and yeah it's just nice that I think everyone is happy and yeah your family just helped yeah definitely 100% so at the end of every episode I asked the guest a couple of quick fire questions.
- 43:26SPEAKER_00: The first one I don't know if you've seen it on TikTok but it is not proud to say it but woman enough to admit it what would be your answer to that I love it when my boyfriend gets jealous like might be a tiny bit toxic but you know when you look good and you go out for dinner and then you like you all of a sudden like if you might get a few stairs and then up they walk closer to you and then he's like no I love that one that's actually so funny.
- 43:54SPEAKER_00: And no I'm like oh my god he still likes me like with three kids deep of course he still likes that's actually such a good one but then on the opposite side if a girl looks at him I'm like wait wait time I'm like she just look at you don't you dare look at me but no one you literally but no I think jealousy in a relationship is good.
- 44:16SPEAKER_00: Yeah it keeps the fire yeah it makes you feel good um and then finally what is the real life of a wag to you um chaotic yeah fast very fast I it is really good so fun yeah what did I say fun no chaotic fast fast and fun yeah overall it is fun yeah I feel like that sums up your past few years yeah yeah amazing what would you say your kind of life in five ten years looks like for you and your family well I hope every like all the kids are grown up healthy me and Ben are still healthy that's the main thing healthy and happy and then fingers crossed I will be Pilates teacher yeah offering one to one and then I'd also like to sort of intertwine it into Instagram TikTok and just build sort of more of like a home brand lifestyle brand yeah and then and I just was like just to be it to be really homely like for me in 10 years time I want a big family and them all to be happy yeah and just be a close family that's definitely that's what I want in 10 years time.
- 45:35SPEAKER_01: Well thank you so much for being a guest um I've enjoyed you on here so so much and I think we've learned so much about you um and yeah I'm so grateful for you to be on here oh thank you so much for having me I've really loved it good luck in the future with as I said with your Pilates with your career and with your family too thank you thank you so much there we are next time it'll be an alcoholic I know yeah 100%