TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp chats morning workouts, battling to eat healthily and her friendship with Phil Spencer
Kirsty is the co-presenter of Location, Location, Location, along with Phil Spencer and has four boys
I’M out of the house 15 minutes after waking.
On a working day, I get up at 6.15am and I’m straight into my exercise kit for a workout.
I run up hills and then walk down them. At 7am I wake the kids. My partner [property developer Ben Andersen] and I have our work cut out with four boys, Orion, 19, and Hal, 16 [from Ben’s previous marriage], Bay, 11, and Oscar, nine. When they’re awake and fed, I’ll get dressed and sort out my face.
We don’t have hair and make-up on Location, Location, Location, so it’s up to me to make myself look respectable!
I do the school run on my scooter. It’s brilliant. Days are different depending on whether I’m filming.
On a day off, I’ll meet one of the mums for a coffee. We shoot the show three days a week in term-time, so I might need to jump on a train to anywhere in the country to look at houses. It’s a long day, and I’ll get home around 7.30pm.
It’s a battle to eat healthily. When I’m working, we often have a pub lunch, and I’ll try to order a salad, but it depends what else is on offer. I’m usually tempted by something more exciting on the menu.
Friday is bidding day. I’ll spend all afternoon on and off the phone, trying to sort out bids for couples on the show. Phil [Spencer] and I really do make those bids for our buyers. We’re very hands-on and involved every step of the way, but houses are my passion so I love it.
Phil and I are great friends, and we spend time together when we’re off-screen, too. He’ll come and stay with us in the school holidays with his family. He is a lovely, kind soul. We never really fall out – our friendship just works.
Evenings are busy. Somebody is always doing some sort of activity after school or seeing friends.
With the number of boys in my life, it means I can’t get too precious about our home in London’s Notting Hill, but the best bit about being the only girl is that I don’t have to share my bathroom with any of them.
I’ve managed to keep one small corner completely for me, so if I need an escape I can go in there!
I’m not great at chilling out. Weekends I’m good – I like to cook then – but I find it hard to do nothing in London because there’s so much going on.
We have lots of local friends, so we might see them for dinner and drinks.
MOST READ IN FABULOUS
If we are having a rare night in, I’ll try to unwind with the BBC News At Ten or Netflix. I like Grace And Frankie, and I’ve watched the entire The West Wing three or four times now.
I sleep very well. But that’s a problem because I’ll put off going to bed as I know I’ll pass out within minutes! I should go to bed at 10.30pm, but it’s usually more like midnight when I nod off.
- Kirstie will be presenting