IAIN STIRLING: FITNESS AND MENTAL WELLBEING GO HAND IN HAND

As the voice of Love Island, Iain Stirling might be synonymous with one of TV’s most popular post-watershed shows, but his latest venture - teaming up with Disney+ - is perhaps apt given that he and his wife, presenter Laura Whitmore are expecting their first baby later this spring.

Before that new chapter begins, we caught up with Stirling to, firstly, ask him if the past year had made him reassess things like work-life balance?

“Definitely. As a freelancer, you’re always worried work will just end tomorrow. I used to look at my diary like every page was a box to be filled. So, if I got a job and was working say, 10 days out of 11, and then I got a job that fell on the one day I wasn’t working, I’d be like, ‘Oh how fortunate’. And now I’m like, ‘No – that day is definitely filled by doing nothing’.

“I think lockdown’s made us realise some of us can work too much, but also how fortunate you are. I’ve got a newfound respect of needing evenings for myself – but also, my job has kind of been taken away from me for a year, so

I’ve realised how incredibly fortunate I am to have that job in the first place. I’m also lucky I don’t just do live stand-up.”

How else have you been taking care of yourself?

“I was never really a fitness person – I always thought, ‘Oh it seems a bit stressful and hard work’ – and I sort of begrudgingly had to admit that fitness and mental wellbeing go so hand in hand, it’s unbelievable.

“For me in lockdown, the difficult time was just after dinner – because I’d never normally be home – so I’d get to 7pm and think, ‘I’ve still got seven hours to go’. So I started going out running at night, which I’m very aware, as a man, I’m in a very privileged position that I can go out in the evening for a run, and then watch telly.”

Do you meditate?

“I do a little bit of the old meditation. I just do the Headspace stuff, nothing too involved, but it’s really helped me. I really like listening to that before I sleep, and not be just sat on my phone going through everybody’s Insta stories, wondering why I can’t sleep.”

■ Iain Stirling has teamed up with with Disney+ for the launch of Star, a content hub aimed at a mature audience. Visit disneyplus.com