Tony Cowell speaks to Julia Bradbury
‘We went to Chiros, the island my mother grew up on. It was very emotional…’
TV presenter Julia Bradbury spent 10 years as the face of BBC’s Countryfile. Now, she’s back on our screens with a new ITV series exploring the beautiful Greek Islands. Here, Julia opens up about taking time away from TV to undergo the trauma of going through five cycles of IVF to finally have her ‘miracle twins’ (Xanthe and Zena), and how she found returning to Greece with her mum to discover the origins of her own Greek heritage such an emotional journey…
The Greek Islands look so beautiful. How did the idea for this series come about?
I’m so pleased with it because it’s photographed so well and we got very lucky with the weather. It came about because I’m half- Greek and I really wanted to show how much the Greeks influenced us as a nation, with their language, their medicine and their culture – so I pitched the idea to a production company, and they loved it. So, bringing this series to life and going back to Greece became a bit of a personal journey for me – it was almost like having another baby!
So, did it become a voyage of discovery for you?
Yes, it did; because in the last episode of the series, we go to the island of Chiros and I take my mum with us, because we have never been there together. This is the island where she grew up with my grandparents. So, together, we go in search of the house she was born in.
Was that quite emotional?
Yes, it really was. But of course, I think it was far more deeply emotional for my mum to go back to her roots – to see where her mother was born; there was many a time when you see the tears in her eyes when we were filming; and of course that then sets me off – but it was a journey she felt she had to make. I was determined not to make a series that was too Who Do You Think You Are – so this is just a small, but significant part of the whole story.
Your Greek grandmother is still alive at 102, isn’t she?
Yes, she is. She’s still rocking; so, my Greek genes are very strong, which is reassuring for both me and my own children. She now lives just outside Athens. She used to swim every day of her life but now she’s slowing down a bit; but it does go to show that the Greek way of life is pretty good for health and longevity.
Haven’t your parents both recently suffered with serious illnesses?
Yes, they have. My mum, Chrissi, had bowel cancer, and then my dad, Michael, was diagnosed with prostate cancer. They are both now
fully recovered, which is a miracle. I am so truly grateful that they were able to live to see their granddaughters. I think that when they found out that I was pregnant with the girls, it gave them extra hope; a reason to live.
Is it hard being away from your children when filming?
I have this rule that if I’m working in the UK, the maximum I will leave them for is three days. With this series taking in nine Greek Islands,
I had to do it in two-week portions. My kids are still young, and they still need me. But I also want them to know I’m still proud to be a working mum.
Are you still just as ambitious as you were pre-kids?
You know what, having had the kids I feel more motivated than I ever did. I’ve got three little beings that I am responsible for and I want to be a good role model for them. At 41, I was late coming to the mothering game and I don’t want to be a crusty old mum!
I want to be someone who is agile and active – so that means maintaining my career. That’s still important to me.
You spent 10 years presenting Countryfile. Do you miss it?
Of course. It became such a huge part of my life. I had to leave, because I couldn’t tell anyone that at the time I was going through IVF. So, I knew, that to give it my best shot, I had to stop work. I had to be stressfree. So now with two little girls I can’t really say that I regret my decision to leave the show. Sometimes you must make sacrifices for yourself and your family.
Do you keep in touch with your former co-presenter, Matt Baker?
Yes, I do. We are still good friends and still see each other when we can. Of course, I do miss our weekly jaunts together on Countryfile – but I’m still doing my walks.
What else do you have planned for 2020?
Well, I do have a couple of ideas for new TV shows, which I am very excited about and hoping they will come to fruition. So, at the moment I can’t say too much! We’ll soon see...
The Greek Islands with Julia Bradbury continues on ITV on Friday at 8pm.