I have become a backseat Strictly driver
NEWSCASTER Katie Derham, 51, lives in Sussex with husband, John Vincent, and has two daughters, Natasha, 21, and Eleanor, 16. She’s a presenter on BBC Radio 3 and has launched a podcast series, Just The Tonic With Katie Derham.
FRIDAY evenings at home tend to be a takeaway night. Natasha is studying in New York and so Eleanor and I will often watch an episode of Modern Family or Grey’s Anatomy. John and I are also obsessed with Ted Lasso.
I am up fairly early on a Saturday to go to an exercise class for mums, which starts at 9am. It’s basically chatting and jumping up and down! The rest of the day is spent taking the dog for a walk, doing jobs that need to be done or going for a big shop.
Eleanor does a lot of singing and dancing and I am the chief taxi driver. With Natasha away studying, I am very aware I’ve only got a year-and-a -half left with Eleanor at home (she is in the first year of sixth form), so I see it as half an hour with her chatting about what she’s been up to.
On Saturday evenings, we either have friends over and I cook or we watch Strictly. I loved doing Strictly in 2015 and the Christmas special in 2017.
Anton Du Beke, who I was paired with for the main series, is doing fantastically well as a judge. I am a classic backseat car driver by saying things like: “I am not sure about the footwork there!”
Sundays will always involve a dog walk and I also like to go for a run. I also tend to garden on a Sunday as I grow a lot of vegetables.
It also involves a roast with friends or family. By evening, it’s time to relax and do last-minute jobs before getting ready for a busy week ahead.