When Giovanna Fletcher was crowned queen of the castle on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2020, she obviously struck a chord with the nation, showing how generous and kind-hearted she was during the gruelling contest.
Mum to three boys – Buzz, nine, Buddy, seven, and four-year-old Max – with her husband, McFly’s Tom, she juggles a hectic work and family schedule, while remaining positive – which is why I was keen to have her on HELLO!’s wellbeing podcast In a Good Place.
The 38-year-old is an all-around achiever in her career, becoming a Sunday Times best-selling author with her book Happy Mum, Happy Baby and running a successful podcast with the same name.
© Ken McKay/ITV/REX/ShutterstockShe is a patron for breast cancer charity CoppaFeel, where she has helped to raise more than £1m during fundraising treks in Wales and the Sahara this year.
In our podcast episode, Giovanna talks to me about how she balances wellness with such a busy life, all while remaining positive…
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Welcome Giovanna! So tell me, are you in a good place?
“I am. I went to the school today to see the Year 4 children doing a little assembly… [Then] I came home and had a chocolate biscuit and coffee. I really love the drop-off and pick-up. I don’t get to do it that often, but I’ve made some great mum friends over the years. I know that for some parents it can feel like a daunting and scary place, but I’m really happy that all the kids have landed in classes with really great parents and kids.”
© Anthony Harvey/REX/ShutterstockDo you and Tom generally agree on parenting style?
“I would say that we mostly agree on everything. I don’t know whether that’s because we’ve known each other since we were so young, that we’ve almost shared our childhoods, although we would have had different experiences within that.
© James Veysey/REX/Shutterstock“I guess there are so many similarities to how we were brought up. We don’t have a good cop/bad cop – I don’t think I could cope with being the bad cop the whole time, we have to pass it over. We know that once one’s being pushed a little bit too far, the other one will step in – it’s more of a tag team.”
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So what about you in this busy household and working life, is there any space in all of this just for you?
“Somewhere! I love doing things like walking and if I’ve got a trek coming up, then I need to get walking because I don’t want to be having blisters. Me saying I can’t do a day of trekking has not happened yet and I never want it to happen.
© Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock“I [also] love boxing now, I’ve got a punching bag in my office. If I get up early, then I can head to my office and have a good old go on that and then have a shower. It does change the day – I’m up, I’m ready, I’ve already done something. It’s important to get those things in.”
You strike me as such a positive person. Do you struggle at times? What gets you out of that fog?
“I get overwhelmed when work-life tries to find its way into home life. Or if emails come through and I know I’ve got to do something but I’ve got the kids. That is quite overwhelming.
© Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock“With work, I like saying yes to a lot of things, but then the actual time to do those things can be a bit tricky sometimes.
“I am getting better… I had a realisation a little while ago that when you’re on holiday, take the time to actually be on holiday; don’t be trying to do all those other things. Otherwise, when you get back, you won’t feel like you’ve been away and you’ve had some refreshing time with the family…
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“I think it’s important to touch base with yourself and realise when you are feeling overwhelmed.”
© Can Nguyen/REX/ShutterstockWhat is your ultimate good place on the planet?
“I do love my bed with my kids in it and my husband as well. I think before I became a mum, I had visions of us all cosying up under nice crisp white sheets on a lovely Sunday morning.
“The truth is a lot messier, a lot of limbs everywhere kicking each other, but it’s just lovely everyone being together.”
Listen to the latest episode of In A Good Place below
