Kirsty Gallacher on finding love after divorce and feeling broody for baby number three at 41
The sports presenter has never been in better shape and has a new attitude to life after putting the past - including her divorce from former rugby player Paul Sampson - behind her
FOR Kirsty Gallacher, life really has begun at 40.
The Sky Sports presenter has a serious spring in her step, is in the best shape of her life and has a very cheeky glint in her eye.
Heck – she’s even ditched her daily caffeine fix because, well, she just doesn’t need the pick-me-up.
“It has been a very difficult few years but I’m able to look forward now,” she smiles.
“When you go through trauma in life – in whatever way – you have to bounce back, especially as a parent. I feel really good right now.”
Kirsty, 41, is of course referring to her painful split from former rugby player Paul Sampson, 39, in August 2014.
The couple, who have two sons, Oscar, 10, and Jude, seven, were together for 14 years and married for four of them.
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When they split, it knocked Kirsty for six.
The stress – combined at the time with training for Strictly – made her lose weight, and she later described marriage as the “worst investment” she’d ever made because of the toll it took on her finances.
But now she is in a much better place.
She puts it down to her new attitude to life, which is built around being physically and mentally strong as well as putting the past firmly behind her.
Kirsty is also revelling in the role as an auntie, after her sister Laura, 29, gave birth in November to Mabel, her daughter with fiancé, comedian and one-time ladies’ man Russell Brand, 41.
“Mabel is so amazing and hilarious. I get my daily pictures, which the kids love. She’s so pretty and gorgeous, and I love being an auntie,” smiles Kirsty.
“Russell’s a wonderful dad, and it’s lovely to see him with Mabel. She’s a little girlie thing and it’s quite funny. He’s loving it. [Being a parent] does develop you as a person, and he would say that he has learned a lot.”
In fact, all this hanging out with baby Mabel has led Kirsty to a rather surprising conclusion.
“I would like more children. There, I’ve said it now, but it’s true!” she laughs.
“If I’m lucky enough to have one more then I’d be thrilled, as I don’t feel like I have finished yet on the baby thing.
“I get really broody when I see a newborn. I love babies and kids so much. It would be the next phase of life and another journey I’d be embarking on. But if I can’t, obviously I’m still lucky as I’ve got two really amazing kids.”
Fortunately for Kirsty then, that there is another reason for the grin on her face – she is dating again.
However, she is staying extremely tight-lipped about the identity of her new man.
“It’s early days. It’s been a few months, but it’s very private. You won’t find many pictures of me out and about. Some people enjoy that, but
I don’t want to do that. If you keep it private, you enjoy it more, and it’s fairer on everybody.”
She does admit, however, that she is happiest when she is part of a couple, and misses the intimacy that comes with a relationship when she is single.
“I’m enjoying seeing somebody, going on dates and having a great time. It obviously feels different, but it’s enjoyable. You move on, and it’s nice being with different people and seeing where it goes.
“I do like being with someone. My friends say I’m like a duck because I have to be with someone and I don’t like living on my own.
“When I haven’t got my kids, I love having someone around as you enjoy life more – taking the dog for a walk or going out for dinner. If the
kids are with Paul then I love going on little trips.”
It’s Kirsty’s first relationship since her brief romance with once notorious Lothario and rugby player Danny Cipriani, 29, last year.
The couple were reported to be “serious and intense” before splitting last April after six months together amid claims their 12-year age gap drove them apart.
At the time Kirsty was said to be devastated, but that is certainly not the case any more.
She has well and truly moved on, and it’s obvious from the way her face lights up that things are going well. So well, in fact, that her new man has even been introduced to her sons – not something any single mother takes lightly.
“Yes [they’ve met him]! Very much so. As long as you are sure about what’s going on with that person, so that it’s not unfair on the children, then it’s wonderful and they love it. It’s great, and they enjoy the time with whoever I’m with.”
This is Kirsty’s fifth Fabulous cover. We last met 18 months ago, and at the time the effects of her divorce – which had been finalised several months prior – were extremely raw.
Kirsty had been partnered with Brendan Cole on Strictly (they were eliminated in week five), and the strain of juggling the demands of the show with her job and adapting to life as a single mum were taking their toll on her body and mind.
Those tough times are still firmly etched in her memory.
“There are very dark days when kids are involved,” Kirsty admits.
“You have to get up and go to work, and you worry about how they’re doing at school while you’re trying to do live TV. But you do learn, you develop and you do get stronger. You have to learn from your mistakes.”
Kirsty stresses she doesn’t want to speak about her divorce in any further detail today because “it’s in the past now”, and the scars have healed. So much so that she is no longer against getting married a second time.
“I wouldn’t like to rule it out because I don’t think it’s fair on the person that you’re with. They might not have experienced it and might want to. It all depends.
“We’ll just have to wait and see. I never say never to anything when it comes to relationships.”
It’s hard to believe Kirsty is 41. Her face is virtually line-free, and she could easily pass for a decade younger.
Not that she’s bothered about ageing anyway – especially when it comes to having more kids.
“I try not to worry too much about it, because if you worry about that then you’re going to worry your life away. When I look at my parents, they’re really young for their age. They’re in their 60s but are still full of life. I know people who have had children a few years older than I am now. If I can do that, I would love to.”
Meanwhile, Kirsty is busy making sure she is in the best shape of her life. She recently hired personal trainer Mel Deane, who is responsible
for the super-fit physiques of ex-England star Rio Ferdinand and fellow presenter Gabby Logan.
“[My mantra] is ‘strong not skinny’. I look up to women in sport like Jessica Ennis-Hill. I think strong is so sexy and brilliant. It’s great for women to look like they keep fit.
“You have to embrace what you’ve got, and for me I really enjoy training hard. I still have a lot of work to do, as I want my physique to be the best it can be in a realistic way, and to be fit and healthy.”
Kirsty trains three times a week around her busy schedule, and concentrates on weight training and cardio circuits to keep her size 6-8 figure in shape. But even she is not immune to online trolling.
“I got a message the other day where someone said: ‘Don’t get too muscly – it’s not feminine.’ Why isn’t it feminine to develop muscle? We don’t all like the same things.”
However, if the fallout from her divorce has taught her anything, it is not to take life too seriously.
“I used to be very affected by messages, but now I’ve got no problem with blocking and deleting. I don’t care any more. You have to believe in what you do. There are far more important things to worry about than someone saying you’re training too much or asking where your boobs
have gone. [Kirsty grabs her chest] They’re here – shut up!”
I got a message the other day where someone said: ‘Don’t get too muscly – it’s not feminine.’ Why isn’t it feminine to develop muscle? We don’t all like the same things.
Kirsty Gallacher
Kirsty is also more aware than most about the importance of staying healthy.
In 2013 her dad Bernard, 68 – one of the UK’s best-known golfers – narrowly escaped a brush with death after having a heart attack.
Kirsty says doctors told her that he wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for how fit he already was.
Then in December last year, Kirsty collapsed live on Sky Sports News and was rushed to hospital with a viral exhaustion bug.
“I was unconscious for three hours and on a drip. I woke up to someone pummelling my chest, as it was difficult to wake me up. I think they were a bit nervous at one point. They put two lots of saline through my body, and it was put in warm because my body was freezing cold. It was really scary.”
Kirsty is now a big advocate of practising mindfulness and meditation, something her sister and Russell – a huge yoga devotee – have been helping her out with.
“[Controlled] breathing is so important, and my sister gave me a book on it. She’s very chilled – the opposite to me. Laura and Russell are very well suited, as it’s a very serene place when you’re around those two. I learn a lot from them because I’m so up all the time, and sometimes I need to be down here for my sanity’s sake.”
As a single mum, Kirsty has had to get used to doing things on her own – “it’s tough, and you do it to the best of your ability” – but has been able to lean on dad Bernard and mum Lesley, 64.
Their help means she can balance parenting duties with being the most high-profile female presenter in the sporting world.
She originally dreamed of becoming a fashion journalist and studied at the London College of Fashion, before falling into TV presenting by accident.
Next year she celebrates the 20th anniversary of starting her career at Sky as a runner.
“It’s incredible really, and I can’t believe it. I feel like part of the furniture. Sport is my life and in my blood, so for me it’s natural, and I guess that’s why I’m still here.”
Looking ahead, Kirsty has combined her love of fashion and sports to create her own fitness range for Proskins.
She is also in top-secret talks to present on different channels, and has plans to front a documentary on animal welfare – a subject close to her heart.
It’s clear she is back at the top of her game personally and professionally. So what’s the most important thing she’s learned over these last few years?
“Don’t have any regrets,” she says firmly.
“People go: ‘Why did you do that?’ or ‘Why did you see him?’ and I’m like: ‘Because I wanted to!’
“You have to believe in what you’re doing and learn from your mistakes, and if you regret, there’s no point in living really. You have to keep moving forward and let go of stuff, otherwise you won’t be a happy person.”
Kirsty’s Proskins collection goes on sale this summer (Proskins.co). Watch her on Sky Sports, weekdays, 4pm.