‘Prince George tried my workouts!’
Fitness phenomenon Joe Wicks on taking the nation by storm during lockdown – and even putting the royals through their paces
Talking to Joe Wicks, you get the sense that he genuinely can’t believe people know who he is. But unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you’ll know all about Joe’s fitness empire.
He first became an Instagram sensation thanks to his Body Coach Plan and Lean In 15 recipes. Lockdown saw him transform from social media influencer to household name, thanks to his daily workout sessions for children, called PE With Joe, and he now has more than four million followers. His reach was so wide, he was awarded an MBE for his services – and the royal seal of approval doesn’t stop there.
“I met the Duchess of Cambridge at Wimbledon,” Joe says.“She said George had a go at some of my workouts during lockdown. It was pretty amazing.”
Here, Joe, 35, tells us about that huge pinch-me moment and opens up about life at home with wife Rosie and their two children – Indie, three, and one-year-old Marley…
Hi Joe. Have you had a chance yet to take in your crazy year?
Even now, it’s still settling in just how many people took part in
PE With Joe. I was just in my living room with a camera and a tripod, so I didn’t really have a perspective on how many people were enjoying it. It’s been a whirlwind.
You received an MBE for your work. Has that sunk in?
It feels surreal, especially because nothing happened for me. It got announced in the press but there was never a ceremony or anything like that, so it’s like it didn’t really happen.
Have you met any of the royals before?
I met the Duchess of Cambridge at Wimbledon. She turned around and told me that George had a go at some of my workouts during lockdown, which was quite nice. It was mad to think that the royal family even knew about my workouts. It was pretty amazing. Now you’re working with kids again on a new project, The Workout Badges series…
I’ve got a daughter and a little boy, so when the opportunity came around, I jumped on it. There are 13 videos, each five to six minutes long, and each episode earns a different workout badge, like the Star Jump Badge or the Marching On The Spot Badge.There’s me and the two children and we all do the exercises. At the end of it, Duggee [from the CBeebies series Hey Duggee] gives us a badge to say “well done”. I was on set with big cardboard cut-outs, and sending pictures to Indie and Marley to show I’ve been working out with the squirrels and Duggee.
Do you usually get your children involved in keeping active?
They’ve always watched me training in the gym, running around the garden or doing a workout in the living room, so they’ve been exposed to it. But the more I show them how we can exercise or cook together, the more it becomes a family thing rather than a chore. We go upstairs and do a little workout together.
Your little girl Indie seems so grown up already…
We’ve been going to soft play recently, so I’ve realised how advanced she is. She loves reading, learning and doing her handwriting, so we encourage her.
Has she adapted to becoming a big sister?
She’s quite maternal. She looks after and takes care of Marley, so I think it’s just in her nature. They have their little arguments, but most of the time she’s holding his hand and making sure he’s safe.
With such a busy work schedule, it must be important to maintain family time…
Yeah, I’m looking forward to having a holiday. Hopefully I can take a week or two away somewhere
with Rosie and the children.
You’ve achieved lots over the last 18 months – you must be proud. What’s next on your bucket list? It’s hard because PE With Joe was such a career-defining moment that I think that’s probably going to be the peak of my career. But I still have so much ambition to work with children and young people. I’ve got a real passion for it and I think they need a lot of support, guidance and inspiration. The next few years will be dedicated to children’s health, fitness, mental health and nutrition.
You’ve also teamed up with Louis Theroux for a new documentary...
Louis Theroux has a production company called Mindhouse, so he and his team are helping with the edit. It’s a really powerful and emotional documentary around mental health. It’s looking at my family, and my journey with parents with mental health issues.
How has filming been?
It’s been intense. There are things I don’t remember that I’m getting told about, so it’s emotional and tough.
Your parents must be so proud…
My mum and dad are constantly saying how proud they are of me because I was a bit of a naughty kid. So to go on and do the stuff I have, and help so many people – they’re really proud.
The Workout Badges will be available on The Body Coach TV YouTube channel and YouTube Kids app from 22 September