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TALKINGFINANCESFITNESSANDFEMALEEMPOWERMENT
‘IHADASTRONG
SINGLEMOTHERWHO
WORKEDHERASSOFF’
LAURAWHITMORETELLSOK!’SJOSIECOPSONABOUTOVERCOMING
SHYNESSANDPEOPLE’SBIGGESTMISCONCEPTIONOFHER
A
fter a decade in the spotlight, Laura
Whitmore has become one of
Britain’s best-known TV presenters.
Her Irish charm, bevy of celebrity
friends and impeccable style also make her
one of the most loved. But the former model,
who has presented both I’m A Celebrity –
Get Me Out Of Here! Now! and taken part
in Strictly Come Dancing, is so much more
than just a pretty face. In fact, a quick scroll
through Laura’s Instagram reveals she’s
encouraging her female followers to demand
the pay they deserve; she’s also supporting
worthy charities, such as the National Lottery.
And while we get to laugh at 31-year-
old comedian Iain Stirling’s jokes when
he’s acting as the voiceover of Love Island,
Laura, 34, gets them at home every day.
The couple, who have been dating since
2017, live together in London, but they value
privacy when it comes to their relationship.
‘It’s quite boring,’ Laura tells OK! of her love
life. However, she’s more than happy to chat
about her new film, role models and the one
piece of advice she always follows...Have you seen the entertainment industry
change during your career?
Women can now be the anchor presenter,
not just the bit on the side. Claudia
[Winkleman] and Tess [Daly] do an incredible
job on Strictly. It should always be about
the people, not their gender. It’s hard to
see yourself as something if you don’t
see someone else do it first. To have the
opportunity to trail blaze is important. My
mum always said to me: ‘If you have any
voice at all then use it as much as possible.’You did exactly that when
you encouraged your female
followers to ask for equal pay...
Money is something we’re often
embarrassed to talk about, but
it’s important to make it visible,
especially when it comes to our
male counterparts. We should all
be paid equally! As a woman, we’re
seen as divas if we ask for what
we deserve, and that shouldn’t
be the case. I’m very lucky that a
male colleague has never been
paid more than me for doing the
same job, but I was once paid more
than a man. He went mad when he
found out because I was younger
and female, but I was doing more
work and had more experience.You’ve written and starred in
short film Sadhbh, which is about
a young mother struggling to
keep her life together. How was
that experience?
I began doing drama because my mum said
I was too shy. She said that was probably
the worst thing she did because I came back
with my hand on my hip, and I didn’t shut up
[laughs]. Storytelling is my favourite thing in
the world so I feel fortunate that I have done
this film, which is out at the end of the year.Would you consider presenting with Iain?
It’s not something I’ve actually thought
about. I think I see him enough around the
house [laughs].You prefer to keep your relationship
out of the spotlight. Why is that?
It’s nice to keep your private life to
yourself, and for people to focus on us as
individuals. I want to control what I put
out there. My private life is actually quite
boring compared to what else is going
on in the world.How do you keep fit?
Hot yoga is incredible – it’s good
physically, but more than anything it’s
good for my mental health. I also keep
a pair of trainers in a bag and I’ll go
for a run whenever I can. Mick [Laura’s
maltipoo] is great as I take him for lots of
walks. He’s great at cuddles, and having
him means people actually talk to you,
which doesn’t happen often in London.What’s the biggest misconception
about you?
People may think I have a perfect life, but
I have no idea what I’m doing most of the
time. The truth is we are all just humans
trying to survive each day. We’ve all felt
excluded, and like we’re not good enough.Why have you decided to get involved
with celebrating the National Lottery
Good Causes?
Everyone who takes part in the lottery
is helping these amazing causes. It’s
their 25th birthday so they are on the
hunt for the UK’s favourite lottery-funded
project. I’m backing You Make It, who
provide opportunities for women aged
between 18 and 30 to transform their
lives. It’s giving them a network and
support so they have the confidence to
believe they can get a job. I had a strong
single mother who worked her ass off as
my role model, she gave me self-belief
and drive. If you come from a background
where you don’t see that then it can be
so much harder.TO VOTE FOR YOU MAKE IT OR ANY OF THIS YEAR’S FINALISTS,
PLEASE GO TO WWW.LOTTERYGOODCAUSES.ORG.UK/AWARDS.
VOTING RUNS UNTIL MIDNIGHT ON AUGUST 21.OK!TWITTER.COM/JOSIECOPSON
PHOTOGRAPHS BY COURTESY OF BEN SAGE, GETTY IMAGES,
INSTAGRAMLaura is
backing charity
You Make It