‘I had glandular fever once which floored me for two weeks ’
The 39-year-old is married to Peter Corry who has three children from his first marriage. She is a producer and choreographer for Peter Corry Productions and is also a humanist wedding celebrant. Based in Northern Ireland, she very much has a foot in London and regularly travels there for work and to spend time with her family and friends.
Do you take regular exercise and if so, what?
It sounds awful to say but no! I hardly ever sit down though so that seems to keep me fit. That plus regularly being in the rehearsal studio rehearsing in new material for the shows keeps me on my toes.
What is the worst illness you’ve had?
I had glandular fever once which floored me for about two weeks but I suppose I was quite lucky it didn’t last longer. I also always used to get tonsilitis on a regular basis which was torture until I had my tonsils out.
How healthy is your diet?
Actually it’s not too bad. I mostly prefer the taste of healthier foods so that helps. I’m not great at eating breakfast though and often end up skipping that, which I know is bad. I really love savoury food along with plenty of fish and when it comes to puddings and sweet things it helps that I’m not crazy about chocolate. However, I do love cheese and you can’t go wrong with a cup of tea and some cake! I don’t deny myself anything I really want and pretty much eat in moderation so I feel I’m pretty balanced. At the end of the day, life is too short — eat the cake.
Any bad habits?
Not taking enough time off and not drinking enough water. I think I have tea in my veins but I’ve tried to cut back on regular tea and I don’t drink any other caffeine. Regular coffee makes me feel really heady and twitchy so I do enjoy a good decaf coffee when I can get it.
Do you drink and smoke/ if so how much?
I drink, yes — I’ll have a few glasses of wine during the week and I’ll never say no to a gin and tonic. I don’t tend to pour a lot of drinks for myself but if someone hands me a glass it would be rude not to. I don’t smoke and happily less and less people seem to be — it’s definitely a dying habit. I don’t miss when you used to go out and come home and your hair would smell of someone else’s cigarettes.
Do you take any supplements?
No, I used to take Vitamin D but I got out of the habit. I should probably start that again as it’s the winter time but I’m not great at incorporating it into my routine because that in itself is so irregular.
How do you take time out?
If I can manage to get through a trashy magazine I feel like that’s real time off. I also love a great series online or a night out at a gig or a show. Anything with a bit of escapism where I don’t have to concentrate too hard is great. I do also love to read but mostly only manage to do that if I’m travelling so I look forward to a plane ride with no distractions.
How well do you sleep?
Really well. I can fall asleep in no time at all and I tend to sleep through which gives Peter sleep envy as he finds it much harder to get to sleep and stay asleep through the night. Luckily I could sleep through a hurricane so if he does wake up or get up, I’m oblivious! I do have loads of crazy and vivid dreams most nights which sometimes make me feel less rested. I once dreamed about the perfect pair of trainers and how to make them which I forgot almost as soon as I woke up — that was going to set me up for life. I also dream about shows and rehearsals all the time. Sometimes the movement in my dreams is so vivid I can do it when I get out of bed.
It’s always a bit weird but sometimes that can be interesting.
Do you worry about getting old?
No, you can’t change ageing so what’s the point? I prefer to look ahead to all the fun things I can do as I get older, like getting to say whatever I want without getting in trouble. Also, I think the perception of age has changed. 50 used to be old but today’s 50-yearolds are younger than ever. We are going to have the sprightliest pensioners going in the next 3040 years and that could be a lot of fun.
What is your go-to product that keeps you feeling healthy?
I should probably say something like water but I definitely don’t drink enough of that. So I’ll say my water bottle because if I have it with me there is at least a chance I’ll drink some then!
Fleur Mellor and Peter Corry have just launched their latest show, ‘Roll Up, Roll Up — The Showman is Coming’, featuring dynamic dancers, singers and multi-talented performers. The show plays at Ardhowen Theatre, Enniskillen, on December 12; Millennium Forum, Derry on Dec 13; Island Hall, Lisburn, on Dec 27; and Mullingar Arts Centre on Dec 29
LINDA STEWART