Natasha: “I don’t want to rush this wedding”
Mum-of-four Natasha Hamilton tells Closer why she’s holding off on marrying her fiancé – and the importance of being kind to yourself
She has a string of heartaches behind her – including one failed marriage and a broken engagement – and was cruelly labelled a “4x4 mum” for having four children by four dads.
Now Atomic Kitten singer Natasha Hamilton has put her wedding plans to businessman fiancé Charles Gay on hold. They got engaged in 2016, just eight months on from her split with her ex-fiancé, 5ive singer Ritchie Neville.
Natasha, 36, explains, “I’m not wedding prepping at the moment – I have way too much going on! We’re holding off for a bit and we’ll get going with it when the time is right. I’m really busy, and Charles is away an awful lot for his business. To shoehorn a wedding in, on top of everything, is just too much. It’s a process that we really want to enjoy doing, so we don’t want to rush it.”
The singer was previously married to restaurateur Riad Erraji, with whom she has son Alfie, eight. She also has Josh, 16, with bodyguard Fran Cosgrave, 14-year-old Harry with dancer Gavin Hatcher, and fouryear- old daughter Ella with Ritchie.
BABY PLANS
And while the star is happy to tie the knot for a second time, she has ruled out having another child for the time being.
Natasha – who has been open about her battles with postnatal depression in the past – says, “Having another baby just really isn’t on our list of things to be getting on with right now. I’ve already got four babies to nurture and look after and I have to juggle everything an awful lot!
“My diary is essential – I make plans for everything well in advance and have a great network of family and friends who help out. Sometimes, it can be hard.”
STAYING IN SHAPE
Natasha rose to fame in the ’90 as onethird of girl band Atomic Kitten, alongside Kerry Katona and Liz Mcclarnon, and still performs with Liz after a public fallout with Kerry in 2017.
While Natasha refused to comment on her former bandmate, last week Kerry, 37, criticised the girls, saying, “I was pissed off that, yet again, Atomic Kitten used my image to advertise an upcoming gig. If I’m not good enough to be on the road with you, stop using my picture!”
The trio were famed for their slender figures and washboard abs – but Natasha admits that it’s a lot harder for her to stay in inshape shape now that she’s older. She says, “When I hit 35, I was like, ‘What is happening to me?’ I’ve noticed a big difference in the past year. The way my body processes food is different. I’ve had to work that extra bit harder, watching what I eat. Cutting out sugar has done me a world of good, though, and I’m working out a bit more, too.
“As busy mums at home or working women, we always put ourselves last. We’re always worrying about other things – and it’s really important to just look after ourselves and show ourselves love. A good diet, working out, being kind to yourself and taking a bit of time to switch off are all really helpful.”
Natasha is campaigning to help reduce sugar intake. See Makemesugarfree.com/program