As you get older you realise more that it doesn’t matter what people think of you
TV sports presenter and former gymnast Gabby Logan chats to MARION MCMULLEN about life in middle age and her podcast The Mid.point
The new series of your podcast The Mid.point has just launched and looks at being middle-aged and why there is no need to dread it. How did it come about?
IT’S been a bit of a passion project for me and I had thought about it way before the first lockdown, but that made me get myself into gear.
It’s something I feel passionate about. John Bishop was my first interview. He’s a good friend and we’ve done a lot before and spent time together.
The podcast offers a familiar environment and is not too formal, but at the same time you can ask them a bit more and you can have a bit more conversation.
John was very interesting to me. He changed his life, his whole career as a rep for a pharmaceutical company, to go into comedy. Richard Osman is another who was successfully working behind the scenes when Pointless came along and now he has a third string to his incredible bow as an author with a number one best-selling detective story that they want to turn into a film. He is a real polymath. He has done everything at his own pace and is a real enigma for me.
Piers Morgan, Rio Ferdinand, Tess Daly, Richard Bacon and Davina Mccall are among the latest guests. Is there anyone else on your wish list?
SOMEONE suggested it was limiting the podcast by having an age range of 35 to 58. If there was no limit than Oprah Winfrey would probably be my dream guest. Maybe Amal and George Clooney.
(Laughs) I’m not going to stop the podcast now until I have Amal and George Clooney on together. I’ll just keep going until it probably becomes The Old.point.
We also have experts on giving advice on how we can better navigate this time in our lives, exploring everything from sleep and nutrition to exercise and hormone treatment and the guests really wade into them and want to know more.
How are you coping with the latest lockdown?
I’M not as bothered about Zoom and Zoom parties and drink parties as the first time around, although I do a book club on Zoom.
My sister is in the States so it’s early morning to have a natter and see my niece.
I’m 47 now and I feel good on the physical side of things and I’m a good walker and do a lot of cycling.
You can’t really potter about in the garden in this weather and it does feel good to be out of the house. Most of the time I’m blessed to have good health and I enjoy exercise.
You have the veneer of confidence when you are younger that you pop on and off, but as you get older you realise more and more that it doesn’t matter what people think of you. You’ve got to trust your gut sometimes. I’m just trying to live a good honest life and do the best for my family.
How has it been for your twins Lois and Reuben?
THEY both sat their GCSE maths this month. They were always going to do them early when re-sits were held and we thought they would be cancelled as well, but they went ahead. So they have done both their first and last exams this year.
It’s hard for them not seeing friends, but I think they are coming through it in a positive way. My son goes on his Xbox gaming with his friends so that is his socialising.
Do you and your husband, former Scottish international rugby player Kenny Logan, have any plans for your 20th anniversary in July?
I’M not sure we’re going to have the big bash we planned to. I remember
when we got married thinking 20 years was a long time and I was reading an article about a man celebrating his 20th anniversary saying the love for his wife was still fresh and I remember thinking I hope that is how I will feel.
You blink and suddenly it is 20 years. I’ve been watching The Serpent on BBC recently and enjoying all those incredible shots of Thailand of the lush vegetation and longing for the time we can get away again and have a dream holiday with the kids.
We’re now talking about doing walking holidays and going to places we have never been before. The first week we went into lockdown I had tickets for the National Theatre and I want to go and see more theatre when this is all over and more comedy and more stand-up. I just want to see more.
The Mid.point with Gabby Logan is available on all major podcast platforms.
I’m not going to stop the podcast now until I have Amal and George Clooney on...
Gabby Logan