Uncomfortably mum

The influencer, podcaster and former Towie star talks about the pressures of motherhood and being on television from such a young age – but she doesn’t rule out doing more reality TV

When she became a mum, reality star Georgia Kousoulou admits in her first book I Wish I Knew that it felt like she’d lost a bit of her identity.

Written after the birth of her son Brody, it charts her journey to motherhood, how she lost and found herself and what she has learnt along the way.

She recalls dreading nights and the prospect of 2am feeds and how she struggled to connect with her baby, leaving her feeling profoundly lonely.

But Georgia, 32, who is married to footwear entrepreneur Tommy Mallet – who she met on Towie– has found solace through her 1.5million Instagram followers.

“I love Instagram,” she said. “I’ve used it as a tool to connect with people. I have a lot of questions, especially when it comes to being a mum.

“I’d never changed a nappy before Brody. I used Instagram to ask for tips and it’s become a community. I say how I feel and maybe I’m a bit too honest but then other mums have done the same and it’s a lovely space.”

Happy snapshots of her life are played out on social media – cute pictures of Brody, her marriage to Tommy last December, out on the town with friends and family.

But in the book, she also charts the tougher times – her parents’ divorce, the panic attacks she suffered while on Towie and the pressure it put on her body image.

“I was 22 when I started Towie and I was skinny. Then I got obsessed with the gym. It became like a competition in my head about who had the best body, who’d get the newspaper headlines,” she recalled.

“I did every diet I could find, I took diet pills… I’d have done anything just to be skinny.”

Cosmetic surgery followed. Georgia had breast enhancements and a nose job – although she says she wanted her nose done long before Towie.

“I grew up in a Greek and Irish household where a lot of people around me had their noses done. As a young girl, I didn’t like my nose. When I went on TV, I definitely didn’t like it because I had to watch myself back. I couldn’t stand it.” When she finally had the surgery, she was trolled relentlessly, which took a toll on her mental health.

“It’s hard, you’re feeling s*** anyway, you’ve just had surgery – and noses take a long time,” she said.

Her surgeon told her it would take a full year to heal but she began filming a month later.

Georgia left Towie in 2021, after seven years. She’s now an influencer and podcaster and stars in ITVBe reality show Tommy & Georgia: Baby Steps, which charts the ups and downs of parenthood in the couple’s Essex mansion.

She said she’s happier than she’s ever been and hasn’t written off doing more reality TV, saying she’d probably go into the jungle if she was asked.

“I like to do things that push me out of my comfort zone,” she says. “But now I have Brody, I’d have to work out if it’s worth it.”

To help maintain her mental health, Georgia speaks regularly to a therapist.

“I think it’s very important when you’re going through things. If I don’t talk, I’ll go downhill,” she said. “Mental health has to be a priority.”

I Wish I Knew by Georgia Kousoulou (Seven Dials, £18.99) is out now