Episode 92: Tess Daley

05/01/23 • 57 min

Spinning Plates with Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Tess Daly, known nationwide for her role fronting Strictly Come Dancing for the last two decades, is also mum to two teenage daughters, Phoebe and

Amber.

We spoke over zoom a couple of weeks ago (apologies for any little glitches caused by the technology) and we had a lovely chat.

We talked about Tess's beloved dad who, despite being ill, made sure he walked her down the aisle, but who died during Tess and Vernon's honeymoon. She said he taught her gratitude for life, and how she'd have loved her children to meet their grandad.

Tess told me how she was pregnant during the first ever series of Strictly and that she returned to work for the second series, just 6 weeks after she had had her daughter. Pretty hard core stuff, which found her, as a new mum who was extremely sleep-starved, falling asleep in her dressing room once, just before the show. But she also said she loves live TV so much, because the adrenalin of it is like rocket fuel , plus you can't fake anything on live TV. I agreed - but I also told her it was the scariest thing I've ever done, performing on Strictly.

Tess runs a swimwear company with her best friend Gayle, and has also just brought a wellness book out called '4 Steps: To a Happier, Healthier You'. She said she's been so busy with her book lately that it's been like having a third child. She shared some of her best tips from the book. One of her favourites is about slowing down the breathing, which I agree is really helpful in moments of anxiety.

Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tess Daly, known nationwide for her role fronting Strictly Come Dancing for the last two decades, is also mum to two teenage daughters, Phoebe and

Amber.

We spoke over zoom a couple of weeks ago (apologies for any little glitches caused by the technology) and we had a lovely chat.

Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

Episode 91: Katie Melua

Katie Melua had massive fame at the age of 19 with the release of her first album 'Call Off the Search', and then 2 years later with her hit 'Nine Million Bicycles'. She has brought out 8 albums since then, with her 9th album 'Love & Money' which she recorded last year while she was pregnant, just released last month.

We met recently at her house when her gorgeous baby boy was just 3 months old. She talked about how her thoughts about parenthood have changed over the years from wondering whether parenthood would ever be part of her life; to realising following a nervous breakdown in 2010 that she did want to be a mum; meeting her partner Ollie in lockdown and freezing her eggs; but then having their treasured little boy naturally.

Katie was very open about how she suffered a dramatic burnout, and she paid tribute to psychiatrist Dr Mike McPhillips who helped her make a full recovery. We agreed it shouldn't be taboo to talk about such experiences. Katie said as soon as he is big enough, she will be talking to her son about ways of dealing with anxiety or panic attacks, as she wants him to be equipped to deal with them, whether that's for himself or his friends.

It was great to hear Katie say that her confidence as a woman went up when her son Sandro was born. This is not something I hear very often from new mums. But she deserves this happy time, and is looking forward to touring with her babe in tow, in May 2023. Yes - next month - and I'm going to see her!

WARNING: Contains conversations around suicidal thoughts and mention of suicide

Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

Episode 93: Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton

Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton (or Sab) took my breath away when I met her. She has achieved, and continues to achieve, so much despite her early life being incredibly tough.

Sab found herself homeless aged 16 after her beloved Dad died and her mum's mental health crumbled. She talked to me about how she has suffered from hyper-vigilance ever since, as the strategies she developed for keeping safe while sleeping rough, are still there.

She eventually found a place to live and was determined to become a fire fighter, applying to over 30 places before being accepted aged 18. She is now Chief Fire Officer of the West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service.

She met her husband Mike in her early days in the fire service. Following an incident in which she believed Mike had been seriously injured, Sab wrote a research paper on the mechanisms of decision-making under pressure. She has a First Class degree in Psychology, a Masters in International Fire Service Development and a PhD in Behavioural Neuroscince.

Sab has been faced with a lot of gender bias while in the Fire Service (for example in social settings people will say, 'Oh you're so brave' to a male firefighter; but 'Aren't you afraid?' to female firefighters. She has frequently experienced 'the backlash effect' when people are uncomfortable with you because you are doing a job associated with the opposite gender. She recently published her book 'The Gender Bias' which looks at the everyday prejudices which women experience and also has some practical solutions to offer. In our chat she clearly illustrated this, describing two very striking studies of little children. One study (as it happens, involving a firefighter's pole!) showed how parents unconsciously treat sons and daughters differently when it comes to perceived risk; the other study showed how children also have gender biases from a very young age, but how this can be reversed easily when they're little.

Sab and her husband Mike have a teenage daughter Gabby. Sab remembers how she started her PhD the day Gabby was born (yes, I don't blame you if you have to read that sentence twice!) and was promoted the day she went on maternity leave. She and Mike have been a tight parenting team, but interestingly Sab told me Mike experienced his own backlash when he took their daughter to baby classes, with mums of the other babies tending to gatekeep their maternal role and keep Mike at a slight distance.

Now that Gabby is a teenager, Sab is having flashbacks to her own teenage years and remembering more vividly that she was sleeping rough in a shop doorway aged 15, with people walking past her as if she wasn't really there. She told me how important it is to smile, have eye contact and say hello to homeless people, even if you don't have any change. If anyone knows, Sab does.

Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.