Katie Piper: ‘We’re all making a new normal’
Katie Piper talks about her brilliant podcast, and why life in lockdown isn’t getting her down…
Acid attack survivor Katie Piper, 36, is keeping her spirits up – even in these very trying times. Her podcast, Extraordinary People, is full of brave interviewees who have faced all sorts of hardships, giving us all a little perspective. Here, the Hampshireborn star tells us why we should be making the most out of our isolated situation, because life will always be tough, it’s just what we make of it that counts…
You’ve launched the third series of your podcast. Tell us more…
I interview people who have faced adversity and gone on to make a new normal – something we’re all having to do now. Their stories aren’t always about the happy ending, because… life isn’t like that. It’s about how they’ve learned to adapt, which is what’s being asked of all of us.
You can record the podcast from home, can’t you?
Yes! Lots of work has been put on hold, but I can keep recording the podcast, interviewing new guests each week, which is lovely. Thank goodness we have all this technology. Can you imagine if this lockdown happened 20 years ago? You’d have to talk to your husband!
Who’s been one of your most inspiring guests?
One is Tulsi Vagjiani, who I met through my charity, The Katie Piper Foundation. She survived a plane crash aged 10, but her mum, dad and brother all died. She woke up with extensive burns covering her entire face and body. She had to find friends and make them family and live with her disfigurement. Now, she’s a Pilates instructor and flies around the world as a motivational speaker. She’s incredibly strong. Nobody can bring her family back, but she’s created her new normal.
Is this a refreshing break from the ‘showbiz world’?
That world can be fun, but it can also be draining. The people you’ll hear on this podcast are the people that really inspire me and give me perspective and strength, when I need it most. The people you might not have heard of.
You once said your attack made you ‘re-evaluate your priorities’ – is the same thing happening across the world during the Coronavirus crisis?
Totally. We’ve all got
resilience and tolerance and determination – but it takes something like this global pandemic, or what happened to me, to force us to tap into it. We can endure more than we think. The Queen’s speech really reflected that, I thought. It was so British. We can – and we will – get through this. And yes, I cried watching it!
Do you feel more resilient coming into this crazy situation, in a way?
When something happens to you and you come through it, you get confidence. People often equate confidence with weight, appearance, how much they earn – but it comes from resilience. That feeling of ‘whatever life throws at me, I can deal with it’. I have that.
So, have you been coping in this lockdown situation?
I haven’t been that bothered by it, which sounds mad. Yes, it’s repetitive, yes, it’s restricting – but tough luck! You have to go through difficulties in life. What’s incredibly sad is the workers losing their lives saving others, the people pushed to the limit financially. But sat at home with my kids? I don’t have a right to moan. I’m not ill.
But two small kids cooped up isn’t a walk in the park!
No, but we’re lucky. We’ve got a garden. I have money to buy colouring pencils and crafts, some people have lost their jobs. We all annoy each other, of course. Actually, I suspect I’m the annoying one because I’m so bloody positive. But this isolation is not permanent. After my attack, I was in intensive care for three months. When I came out, I couldn’t go anywhere. By the time I could, I was agoraphobic, my confidence at rock bottom. But this, we can do this!
Your gorgeous girls must be loving all this time with mummy and daddy…
I know they are, just by looking at them. They’ve never had so much one-to-one time with both parents. It’s good for them. We do a lot of retro stuff, like clay-modelling. It’s hard for me in that I’m doing more than ever – I’m working, looking after the kids, doing the housework – neither of us are putting our feet up.
You’re also spending 24/7 with your hubby – are you driving each other mad?
We’ve got a good system going! One of us will take the girls out for their daily walk for an hour, while the other tidies up the house, then one will go and do some gym exercise in the garage while the other watches a movie with the girls. We tag-team. So yes, we basically just avoid each other all day via the kids!