Louise Redknapp on her 20-year showbiz marriage, defying the ‘Strictly curse’ and stepping back into the limelight

THERE was a time when Louise Redknapp was as well-known for stripping down to her underwear for provocative magazine shots as she was for singing saucy Top 10 hits like Naked and One Kiss From Heaven.

But the woman who walks into the Fabulous photo shoot today is a world away from her pin-up past.

She’s wearing a pair of comfy joggers, Adidas Stan Smith trainers and a baggy T-shirt and is laughing her head off as she recalls the outfit she wore to FHM’s 100 Sexiest Women Awards in 2004, when she won Sexiest Woman of The Decade.

“I remember turning up to the awards eight-and-a-half-months pregnant in a green dress – I looked like a big apple! It wasn’t my finest hour.”

This self-deprecating nature is typical of Louise, 41, who has been married to ex-Liverpool footballer and TV host Jamie for 18 years.

She hides her petite size-10 frame underneath a dressing gown between changes and screws up her nose in response to compliments.

Even now she’s appearing on Strictly, there are no plans for Louise to step on to the dance floor in one of its trademark frocks held together
with the smallest amount of fabric.

“Me, Will Young and Naga Munchetty walked down the red carpet at the launch like the sensible three at the back,” she laughs.

“I was like here to here [gestures from her ankle to her neck] in my dress.”

When it comes to flashing the flesh, Louise – who is partnered with pro dancer Kevin Clifton, 33 – admits she’s playing it safe for now.

“I think it’s going to depend on if my body gets better during this process!” she laughs.

“We always joke that if I’m on the show for a while I’ll be in hot pants and a bra top within a few weeks. There’s a level for me. I’m a 41-year-old woman with two sons, so there’s always going to be a fine line.”

Louise, who is mum to Charley, 12, and Beau, seven, admits it boils down to confidence (she’s keen to lose half a stone) so has been easing herself in gently.

There’s not even a hint of the obligatory fake tan (it brings her out in hives) or fake eyelashes (she hates them).

For the record, she has nothing to worry about.

Louise is incredibly pretty in the flesh, with practically zero wrinkles and a natural tan.

But it’s clear that despite all those magazine shoots, she doesn’t consider herself a babe.

“I think I won those polls because I was so normal – I clearly wasn’t the sexiest woman in the world. But I could do with getting a T-shirt made to remind Jamie! I would be a liar if I said it didn’t put a spring in my step, but I’m not as body-confident as when I was 20.”

For Louise – who fronted documentary The Truth About Size Zero in 2007 – priorities no longer lie in the pursuit of body perfection.

“Your body changes when you have children, but I suppose I’m not hung up on it.”

Still, those tiny outfits will be coming out if one of Louise’s fellow contestants gets her way.

“Daisy Lowe laughed at me at our press day. She was in the sexiest number and was like: ‘Why are you so covered up? You’re on Strictly!’

“Daisy’s going to try and draw my inner sexy side out. She said: ‘I’m getting you in a revealing frock whatever it takes!’ We’ll see if that happens.”

Whether she follows Daisy’s advice or not, Louise is sure to get pulses racing on the dance floor, which means that husband Jamie, 43, will have to put up with his mates teasing about the so-called “curse of Strictly” – which Louise is less than happy about.

“Jamie knows that I would never do anything that would make him feel uncomfortable,” she says.

“Jamie is my world, and this is just dancing. What happens on the dance floor is very different to real life.”

However, the curse has proved to be pretty strong over the years: Rachel Riley, Ben Cohen, Natasha Kaplinsky, Joe Calzaghe, Georgia May Foote, Jimi Mistry… the list of celebs and their dance partners who’ve broken up with their other halves before getting together is a long one. But Louise is having none of it.

“Strictly is just like any job in any walk of life,” she says firmly.

“You could be in the office tomorrow and fall in love with someone. I’ve spent a lot of time with Kevin and he’s so professional, patient and gentle.”

So did Louise have a frank chat with Jamie about spending six hours a day cosying up to Kevin?

“I want to embrace Strictly and don’t want to worry that I can’t hold someone’s hand or put my arm around them in a certain dance,” she says.

“Jamie’s pretty cool and loves coming to rehearsals. You’ve got to remember he met me when I was a singer on tour with eight male dancers. I don’t think he would be fazed by that. He’s pretty chilled.”

Jamie is so chilled, in fact, that he is already talking about trying for baby No.3 and adding more chaos to their already busy lifestyles.

“Just when I was signing up to Strictly, Jamie went to me: ‘Do you think we should go for just one more? Should we try for a girl?’ I was like: ‘What? Right now? Honestly, the one chance I’ve got to lose a few pounds and now you think it’s a good idea?’”

So would she still like another?

“If I was five years younger then yes, without a shadow of a doubt. But I am older now,” she says softly.

“We’ll wait and see. Watch this space.”

Her reluctance to commit is understandable as Louise struggled to conceive in her 20s before being diagnosed with endometriosis, a womb condition that can cause infertility.

She had to go through laser surgery to have Charley, and during pregnancy developed chloasma, a facial pigmentation.

She’s realistic that her condition will make having another baby difficult.

“It took four years [to get pregnant] with Charley and four weeks with Beau, so who knows what could happen. I went through such turmoil having Charley that I’d never sit here and say I would really love another baby because it isn’t as easy as that for me.

“I’m like: ‘OK, Jamie, just let me concentrate on this for now and we’ll worry about the baby after!’ But it’s so nice that we still have these conversations after 18 years together. Romance is not dead!”

Except that is, when it comes to Valentine’s Day.

“Jamie’s not Mr Romantic at all. Not once has he sent me a Valentine’s card. He’s like: ‘It’s for teenagers.’ Instead he says: ‘You know I love you, babe.’ If I got a card now, I might check his phone!” she laughs.

While Louise may not be used to big romantic gestures, she does have one of the strongest celeb marriages.

Unlike many in the world of football, their relationship hasn’t been rocked by a cheating scandal.

“I never take my marriage or Jamie for granted,” she says.

“Every day we’re together and happy is another day I’m grateful for.”

So she must have amazing trust in Jamie after nearly two decades together?

“It’s such a hard question to answer. Who knows what tomorrow may or may not bring? I wouldn’t say of course you trust [someone] 100% or you don’t. I have been married for 18 years, my kids and my husband are my world and please god may it continue.”

It’s clear Louise idolises her family and the sheer mention of her husband or sons makes her face light up.

She’s keen to paint a picture of relative normality, despite home being a plush multimillion-pound mansion in Oxshott, Surrey.

There’s just one member of staff on their books – a housekeeper who has been with them for 10 years and become part of the family – and Louise is determined to keep up her daily school runs with the help of her mum Lynne, who lives 10 minutes away.

But as her boys approach their teens, she’s begun to notice a big change in household dynamics.

“Charley is becoming my mate, which is really nice,” she says.

“He’s got to that age where you can actually have a conversation.

“There’s nothing I enjoy more than when it’s me and him and the little one has football and we say: ‘Shall we go and have dinner together?’ He has a virgin mojito and loves it. It’s lovely for Jamie now, too – they go off together and I’m like: ‘When are you coming home? You’ve been at golf for hours, I’m bored!’ That’s why I did Strictly!”

Her remark is tongue-in-cheek, but Louise has made some big sacrifices to put her family first.

She grew up in south-east London with her two younger brothers Jay and Sam, builder dad Tim and her mum, who worked at Gatwick Airport. But her life changed when she won a scholarship at 11 to Italia Conti stage school in London, and at 15 was scouted to join R&B girl band Eternal.

In 1993, the group’s debut Always & Forever reached No.2 and became one of the year’s biggest-selling albums.

When Louise quit the band two years later, she went on to forge a successful solo career – by which point she was already in a relationship with Jamie after mutual pal Robbie Williams introduced them at a Take That concert.

The pair married in 1998, and Louise’s pop career came to an end in 2004 when she fell pregnant with Charley.

Instead, she focused on raising her family before diversifying into TV, with presenting slots on the likes of Something For The Weekend and advertising work such as that Thomas Cook advert with Jamie.

Since 2014, she has run her successful fashion blog A Style Album, which now has almost 50,000 Instagram followers – and she’s hoping
her Strictly appearance will help her to regain some independence.

“I did give up a lot, and rightly so,” she says.

“We all make a choice and I definitely have put the boys and Jamie first. My choice was to be there the majority of the time with them. To take yourself out of your family [to work], especially when you have young kids, it needs to be important. I was really fortunate that I was married to a man who could support me, so I didn’t have to, and I didn’t take that for granted.

“Although I’m pleased I did that, there came a time where I felt a bit left behind. My sons were off getting busier and older, and I thought: ‘What do I do? I did used to be a pop star, honest!’ It’s nice for me to get my teeth into something and get my identity back.”

But there appears to be a cost to having placed family first, namely Louise’s lack of confidence in putting herself out into the big wide world of work again.

“Twenty years ago I would have thrown myself at anything and felt confident doing it, but I’ve been at home and you get very content and a bit insular when you’re not out there. This is actually quite a big hurdle for me to get over.”

But one thing she is confident about is that now is her time.

“Jamie is going from strength to strength, so he doesn’t need me all the time,” she says.

“And the boys are at an age where I feel comfortable not always being there. I just feel it’s the right time for me.”

Pop star, presenter, style blogger… something tells us that Strictly finalist will be her next achievement.

Now, where are those hot pants?

Watch Louise on Strictly Come Dancing every Saturday and Sunday, BBC1.