Joe Wicks: ‘How he’s keeping mums like me sane’
During these days of lockdown, fitness guru Joe Wicks is on a mission to get us moving. Millions of households around the world are starting their mornings with PEwith Joe, so our Features Editor Nicky Dawson gives it a try along with sons Theo, nine and
Henry is in PJ bottoms, Theo’s in his football kit and me? Well, I’m still in my dressing gown.
It’s 9am and we are all gathered around the laptop on the kitchen table.
Why? Because like millions of other households around the world we are tuning in for PE with Joe.
That’s Joe Wicks, AKA The Body Coach. With his rippling six-pack, glossy locks and tight bum, frankly, there’s something for everyone here…
Launched to get school kids moving in this terrible and frustrating time of lockdown, families across the country are starting their days working out with the fitness god.
In our house we tune in to YouTube at 8.58am and wait…
Here he comes, hair bouncing and energy at 100 per cent …
‘Three, two, one, I’m Joe Wicks and here we go…’ he says. It’s hard to resist his enthusiasm.
We do a three-minute warmup, all the time encouraged by Joe’s war cry: ‘Get moving and feel fantastic!’
Then we squat, lunge, plank
‘You’re not only staying fit, you’re helping raise money for the NHS’
and karate kick, bouncing around the kitchen, egging each other on, giggling. I work muscles that have been dormant for years. Turns out nine-yearold Theo is great at kangaroo jumps and seven-year-old Henry is giving the ‘spiderman’ a really good go…
As we exercise, Joe calls out to viewers who have sent in messages, describing where they are and who they are working out with, it’s the ultimate accolade… ‘Can we get a shout out?’ Henry wants to know. To add to the community spirit, one day one of Henry’s friends contacts us via Zoom (a virtual meeting app), so they can work out together. The kids laugh and shout to each other. I edge out of shot – I don’t think someone else’s child needs to see me bouncing round the kitchen unwashed and without a bra…
Joe is an Essex boy and personal trainer whose career took off after he released his Lean in 15 series of cookbooks.
At 33 years old he’s now a multi-millionaire. Married to Rosie Jones, a model, the couple have two children – a girl Indie, one, and baby boy Marley, three months.
During a quieter moment, I like to admire Joe’s living room (yes, I mean living room). He performs PE with Joe at his plush West London home in a spartan room in front of a fireplace. Lovely grey walls (what would Kirstie Allsopp say?) and that carpet – so clean!
Later, when I’m idly googling Joe, one of the top lines of chat is what shade of grey is on Joe Wicks’ walls? So, I’m not alone. And, of course, there’s his hair, his Samson-like locks…
Apparently, he doesn’t even comb it. Just bounces out of bed and it looks like that. ‘I roll out of bed and this is it,’ he insists, shaking his curls. ‘Sometimes I tie my hair up, sometimes I don’t. But no brush has gone through it in about 10 years.’
We school mums, who discuss his washboard stomach on
WhatsApp groups, and describe him as ‘Juicy Joe’, the ‘abs god’ and ‘like Jesus in active wear’, find ourselves feeling grateful to him.
Grateful that he’s aiming to fill a gap in these difficult times – and get the home-schooling day off to a great start.
Joe says he is dazed, amazed, and grateful at how things have taken off in just a few weeks – three weeks ago he should have been starting a tour of schools to promote fitness and healthy living but, clearly, could not.
‘I was lying in bed… and was thinking, “What can I do, how can I help? How do I reach more people, how do I help the children”,’ he says.
‘Suddenly, the idea PE with Joe just popped into my head! Five days a week. Monday to Friday, I’ll take on the role of the nation’s PE teacher and maybe a few people will sign up.’
A few people! Around 954,00 live viewers have tuned in at one time, and from all over the world, some of his shout outs have been to New York, Moscow, Israel and Hong Kong. ‘Imagine all the kids in each household — so it’s already millions and millions!’ says Joe gleefully.
Even the rich and famous are at it – Instagram posts show
Coleen and Wayne Rooney’s children giving it a go. Other names include Louis Theroux and Lizzie Cundy.
Me, Theo and Henry? We are exhausted. But pleased with our efforts. Now for some maths, which won’t be treated with such enthusiasm!
In a post shared on Instagram, Joe says the popularity of his videos had increased his advertising revenue ‘unlike anything I’ve seen or experienced on my channel before’.
‘So I’ve decided that as long as I’m the nation’s PE teacher, every single penny of the money generated on these videos is going to the place where we need it the most right now. All of it is going straight to the NHS, to support the real heroes right now.
‘Thank you for watching, joining in and sharing… I’m loving being your PE teacher and now you can watch again, knowing you’re not only staying fit, you’re also helping raise money for the NHS.’
Last week he revealed he was making a donation of £80,000.
Joe’s not everybody’s cup of tea – too positive some say. I say in these miserable times he’ll be Prime Minister by Christmas.
Joe, we love you…