‘Marvin calls me Rochy Balboa – he says I’m punching above my weight!’
Pregnant Rochelle Humes talks silly nicknames, baby number three and wedding day memories…
Rochelle Humes certainly doesn’t do things by halves, as the last few months alone have proven. As well as juggling hosting duties on This Morning over the summer, the 31 year old has launched her latest business venture – My Little Coco – and arranged a move from her and hubby Marvin’s Essex home into a new London pad.
Oh, and on top of all that she’s ready to pop with the couple’s third child – a baby brother for daughters Alaia-Mai, seven, and Valentina, three. And while most people would be scheduling a well-deserved nap, when we catch up with former Saturdays singer Rochelle, we discover she’s still hard at work having just spent the last five days in Scotland filming a new series of her and Marv’s BBC game show The Hit List.
Here, we chat about her exciting new chapter, what never fails to make her cry and why Marvin kidnapped her on their wedding day…
Hi Rochelle.You’re busier than ever!
Yes, I know! But like everyone I was doing nothing for months and then everything has happened all together. I couldn’t have predicted it, but it’s fine, as at least I got my rest in before.
Congratulations on the pregnancy. How are you feeling?
Thank you very much. It’s really exciting and it’s gone so quick! I’ve been locked away and not seen anybody until now so it seems to have flown by. Soon, I’ll have another child. I can’t believe it!
Is Marvin excited that he won’t be as outnumbered any more?
There’s going to be a bit more testosterone in the house, which will be nice. Even our dog is a girl so he’s been totally outnumbered!
The Hit
We normally have an audience for The Hit List, so it was definitely different to normal. But the crew were so good and the team at BBC Scotland was making sure everything was safe and everyone felt comfortable, which is the biggest thing in the ‘new normal’.
With Marv, Valentina and Alaia-Mai
You’re also making a fresh start after moving house…
We were looking to move for a while, but obviously everything else in life got put on hold. Then, all of a sudden, the viewings opened up again. We had one where they were in our house for half an hour and called us an hour later to put in an offer. So it all happened within six weeks.
And is the new place really your dream home?
I think so – and I also thought that about my last house. I’ve had really nice memories in each home that I’ve lived in – whether that’s kids being born or a fun time of my life – but I don’t get too attached. As much as I hate the moving bit itself, it’s a new project and a new adventure, which really excites me.
You and Marvin recently finished recording
What was it like in this new socially distanced world?
List.
What did you get up to when you weren’t filming?
We watched a lot of Naked Attraction. It was on telly every night in the hotel. I’ve become obsessed with it, it’s so good!
What’s your idea of a perfect night?
At the moment, a nice bath, the TV to myself, lots of snacks and my feet up until further notice. But, typically, it would be to go out for a nice little sushi dinner and a margarita or two. I’m one extreme to the other!
Do you have any secret hobbies?
Puzzles. I find them so therapeutic and I can zone out while doing one. My kids love them too, but not in the same way that I do.
What about any hidden talents?
The couple have been filming a new series of The Hit List
I’m very good at time management. Before
I had a family, I was always the one that was late and saying I was in the car when I most definitely was in the bath. But now I can manage to split myself into a thousand pieces.
Do you have any nicknames?
My friends, family and people I work with call me Roch. Marvin calls me Rochy Balboa, which I’m not sure is complimentary. He jokes it’s because I’m punching above my weight! And my friends at school used to call me Noodle because my hair was really curly.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
The fact that my face has no filter. I can be honest to a fault sometimes. It’s always obvious on my face what I’m thinking. I wish I could work on that but I’ve been the same
since I was a kid.
When was the last time you cried?
I cry all the time at the minute. When something’s serious and there’s a situation I need to deal with, I’m not emotional. I’m very pragmatic. But, on the flip side, The Voice Kids could be on and when one of them gets through, I cry happy tears.
What’s been the best day of your life so far?
My wedding day. Beforehand, a lot of people said it’s hard to take everything in, but I was the polar opposite. I absolutely loved it – to the point where we’d booked the venue up to a certain time but, after