8 minute read
Celeb guest: Gemma Oaten
from c oaefr w3
by loopedsaxe3
Cel g
EVERY W A BRILLIA
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I read a report the other da y in which researchers found tha t people with only a few “real life” friends w ere happier than those with lots of online ones, and the quality of friendships w ere far more important than the quantity. It really resonated with me, because I’v e definit ely realised ho w essential proper pals are o ver the las t few years. W ith social media, it can be so eas y to fix ate on the number of followers y ou hav e, or ho w man y “lik es” y ou not ch up . When I w as y ounger, I used t o w ant more friends, but as I’v e grown up , m y circle has become smaller and smaller, and I feel happier than e ver. As y ou get older, I think you s tart t o prioritise y ourself a lot more. You realise y our time is precious, so wh y would y ou spend it with someone who doesn’t make y ou feel amazing about y ourself?
My job means I’m in the public e ye, but it comes in w aves. I’v e had ma tes who are there
when I’m in the press, but disappear when I’m not in the limelight so much. W orking
aw ay from home sho ws who m y real friends are –those who will s till be there for me e ven
if I ha ven’t seen them for months. I can c ount my friends on one hand –if y ou only ha ve a
handful of people who will be there for y ou, support y ou, and lo ve y ou alw ays, then y ou’re
super luck y and y ou should cherish tha t.
MY TYPICAL DAY :
‘I prac tise m y lines in the show er!’
I’M ON TOUR AT THE
MO MENT. I’m starring in
the pla y Ten Times Table ,
so I’m living in hotels and
getting up at around 10.30am, after a la te
night of performing. I’ll start my day with a c offee and do some core exercises, like planks, sit-ups, or squats. It’s a little In c ostume for Ten Times Table
20-minute routine I can do anywhere.
I’LL HAVE A NICE BRUNCH OF EGGS AND A FRUIT SMOOTHIE AT
AR OUND 12PM, before I work through m y emails and admin. I’m a
patron of the SEED Eating Disorder charity. T his sometimes c onsists
of speaking in schools or presentations, so I’ll w ork on them if I need to.
I LIKE TO HAVE A WANDER AROUND WHICHEVER CITY I’M IN. At
around 4pm, I’ll come back and start getting ready. I’ll ha ve a microwave
PHOTOS: REX/SHUTTERSTOCK, INSTAGRAM meal before the performance. Being on tour is not as glamorous as it sounds! I prepare for the night ahead while I’m in the sho wer. I do all m y articulation and lines just talking to m yself. I pla y someone with a BBC acc ent, so quite posh – very different to m y northern ac cent! T he cas t then get together at around 6.30pm and ha ve a team talk before the show . I absolutely love what I do, so the performances are alw ays a blas t. THE SHOW REALLY GETS OUR ADRENALINE PUMPING, so af terwards, the cast will often have a g lass o f w ine together. I might get a k ebab before heading back if I’m hungry, and then I’ll go back to m y hotel. I’m a night owl, so I’ll watch TV until I fall asleep at around 1am. ● Gemma is raising money for the SEED Eating Disorder charity by hosting the Ano ther Blooming Night charity gala. Visit Seedeatingdisorders.org.uk
Taylor Swift has recently discussed having an eating
di sorder in her new documentary, Miss Americana ,
a n d it’s really opened up the conversation. I suffered from an eating disorder for around 1 3 ye ars of my life, and it caused so much pain –n ot on ly for me, but also for my family and friends. I t hink there needs to be more understanding of eating disorders. For example, some people may think they’re about vanity and looks, but for me and many others that wasn’t the case. I was bullied, and eating was something I could control. It wasn’t about looking like a supermodel. I think celebrities talking about their experiences with mental illnesses, like eating disorders, can do a world of good – so kudos to Taylor. “Kudos to Taylor”
IF I RULED THE WORLD...
I’d make everyone look in the mirror every morning... and say, “I’m beautiful, I’m brave, and I’m able”. I do it and feel empowered.
…and I’d allow dogs everywhere. In restaurants, work, schools... My dog Ruby is the light of my life and I’m happier when she’s around.
JAMES’ LIFE LESSONS
Olympic champion James Cracknell, 47, tells Closer how he navigates co-parenting his three children and reveals why it’s important to listen more than you talk
DON’T BAD-MOUTH YOUR EX AGE IS JUS T A NUMBER
“I’ve just separated from Bev [T V presenter Beverley T urner, 46], and there’s a lot to tak e on board. Bev and I were together for 17 years. I don’t think I would have stuck it with me as long as she did. Bev had it really hard. She had one husband for the first eight years we were married, then a very different one for the rest [after James suffered a head injury in a cycling accident that changed his personality]. Our children – Croyde, 16, Kili, 11, and Trixie, nine – can read everything out there. We don’t want them to see anything negative. We want to protect them. We don’t need to say anything bad about each other.”
LET YOUR CHILDREN KNOW YOU’RE THERE FOR THEM
“Parenting is difficult an yway, but with
CLO SERONLINE.CO.UK 38 PHOTOS: CAMERA PRESS, GETTY, INSTAGRAM two separate households , it’s even tougher. Obviously they’re going to be hur ting [during the separation], and they’re not going to be able to express themselves that well, so you can’t take it personally when they don’t want to see you. You have to go back and keep taking it, until eventually they do want to see you. You can’t be disappointed if your kids are in a bad mood. It’s harder when you’re not living there, because you’re not a constant presence. You’ve just got to let them know that you are always there for them.” “I’m running the marathon this year and I’ve been studying Public H ealth P olicy at Cambridge , specialising in lifestyle diseases like obesity, smoking and alcohol. M y mum spent her whole life working for the NHS and lifestyle diseases are the one thing that will bring it down. I also competed in the Boat Race last y ear: I w as 46 and the next oldest person w as 2 4. I w as older than some of their parents, as with most of the undergraduates at C ambridge. Age is just a number –it’s alw ays important to challenge yourself. You can also learn a lot from the y ounger generation –m y crew mates were teaching me what I nstagram w as!”
With e x Be verley and their children Croyde, Kili and T rixie With girlfriend Jordan Connell
LISTENING IS THE MO ST IMPORTANT THING IN A REL ATIONSHIP
Training for last year’s Boat Race
INTERVIEW
BEING STUBBORN HELPS WHEN YOU’RE A PARENT
“I found being a dad is the har dest thing in the world –m y eldest child is 16 now and I still don’t think I’ve got it right! I alw ays think there’s more that I could do. Coming from a sporting background, I’m quite stubborn, and I suppose that helps – you’ve just got to keep going. Ultimately, parenting is all giving – and all one way! No matter what they throw at you, you always come back for more.”
ALWAYS WALK TOWARDS A B*****KING!
“The best advice I w as given came from my dad, who told me , ‘Always w alk tow ards a b ***** king!’ I t’s better to be told off early, rather than to let it build up – to be up-front and say, ‘I did it!’ There have been times where I haven’t followed that advice. I injured my shoulder during a game of rugby, and then I had to lie to my rowing coach just before the Olympics about how I got injured. I got myself into more and more trouble, and it just wasn’t worth it.”
DON’T LAUNCH STRAIGHT INTO EVERYTHING
“There’s a really good quote from A braham Lincoln, who said, ‘Give me six hours to chop down a tr ee and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe’. I normally launch myself straight into everything, but I’m gradually discovering it’s better to step back, prepare and take a bit of time with things in life.”
