Broadcaster and charity founder Katie Piper discusses modern motherhood, being inspired by the resilience of others and why she doesn’t want to be a “superwoman”
WORDS: EVE MACDONALD PHOTOS: LORNA ROACH, GETTY IMAGES, REX/SHUTTERSTOCK
LOOSE TALK
Like many celebrities who choose to keep their family life as private as possible, Katie Piper is keen to give her children as much anonymity as she can online. But with two beautiful daughters at home – Belle, 10, and six-year-old Penelope – it’s only natural that she ends up gushing about how proud she is of them.
Talking about her favourite thing when it comes to motherhood, Katie, 40, tells us, “It’s having a friend for life. I have a really close relationship with my own mum, and I loved that transition to being good friends with her as I got older. I’m excited for that closeness continuing and going into a different era.”
As well as being a doting mum and sharing a loving relationship with her husband, carpenter and builder Richard Sutton – with whom she enjoys fitness-focused “date days” – Katie is busy running her charity, the Katie Piper Foundation, and keeping up with her hectic schedule of television work, including her Loose Women commitments, documentaries and weekend magazine programme, Katie Piper’s Breakfast Show.
Asked how she juggles it all, Katie laughs, “I don’t, it’s always absolute chaos. We juggle like everyone else and there are often times we forget stuff. But even that chaos is a privilege, because there are many people who are desperate to have a family and it doesn’t happen, so I try not to moan about it.”
Here, the trailblazer opens up about teaching her daughters to live in the present, where she finds her inspiration and why she doesn’t want to be known as a “girl boss” or “superwoman”...
Hi Katie. It’s clear to see how important your family is to you. How are your daughters doing?
My girls are doing great. My eldest turned 10 the other week, so she’s moving up from one stage in life and she’ll be going to secondary school next year. I can’t believe it. It’s exciting, and all the clichés of time going by too quickly definitely apply.
How do you find that balance between protecting your children from fame, but also celebrating their achievements? How would you feel if they wanted to follow in your footsteps?
It’s tough, but I grew up in a childhoo
