‘I’ve swapped red carpets for changing nappies!’
The former Saturdays singer tells Closer how her children have changed her life
She was once part of hugely successful girl group The Saturdays – but Una Healy has happily given up the glitz and glamour to focus on motherhood.
The singer has daughter Aoife, five, and son Tadhg, three, with her rugby player husband Ben Foden, 32. And since their arrival, she has shunned the showbiz lifestyle.
She tells Closer, “I have pretty much cut out socialising. I’m very normal and I don’t do showbiz events with red carpets.
FAMILY FUN
“You are more likely to find me at home making the tea and changing nappies. “Of course it’s fun to get dressed up to go to the occasional charity event, but I would rather be at home, playing with the kids.” The Saturdays have been on hiatus since 2014 and Una says there are currently no set plans to reunite. But while she has left parties and red carpets behind, she continues to record solo music so she can set a good example to her kids.
She says proudly, “Everything I do is for my children and, even when I go to work, I think, ‘I am not doing this for me, I am doing it for them.’
“I work to pay the bills and I have even got a song about that on my last album.
“But I am no different from any other working mum. To be honest, I get shocked when I’m asked, ‘How do you do it?’ It’s not easy, but it’s life.”
And Una, 36, has help from Ben, who she says is the perfect hands-on dad.
She adds, “My husband is brilliant and he is full-on daddy day care. Aoife is now in fulltime school and my mum is also a huge support. She is a big part of our family. She helps me out lots and is really hands-on.”
Una has made no secret of the fact that she suffered with the baby blues after the birth of both her children – but being a mum has made her happier than she ever dreamed she could be.
She explains, “I am not embarrassed about revealing that I’ve had my ups and downs and I went through a rough patch after my second baby.
“But it’s sleep deprivation and hormones and it takes ages to get back to feeling normal.
“I feel in a much better place now than I have done, but that’s because of the love and support around me. I don’t feel as lost as I have felt before.”
ONLINE BACKLASH
Una was recently forced to defend herself following a social media backlash when she shared a photo of her daughter experimenting with make-up via her Instagram page.
She said the snap was “completely innocent” and spoke of the challenges surrounding raising children in the age of social media. Una admits being a mum has made her worry more.
She says, “I wish I could be more ‘go with the flow’. To be honest, I am a massive worrier. I worry way too much and I always worry if the kids are OK. I am more of an anxious person than laid-back, but luckily Ben is the complete opposite to me!”