MODEL ABBEY CLANCY OPENS UP TO OK! ABOUT LIFE AS A SLEEP-DEPRIVED MUM OF FOUR
ABBEY CLANCY AND HER DAUGHTER SOPHIA PREPARE FOR PARTY SEASON, AS THE MODEL TELLS ok!’s ROSIE UNDERWOOD ABOUT LIFE AS A SLEEP-DEPRIVED MUM OF FOUR
Abbey Clancy is not only as sharp as her perfectly manicured talons, but she’ll have you in stitches with her self-deprecating humour. It’s fair to say she takes her work seriously, but not herself. The hard-working model turned TV presenter, who married former England footballer Peter Crouch in 2011, kicked off her career as a contestant on Britain’s Next Top Model in 2006. Since then, she’s gone on to present the show, fronted countless modelling campaigns and won Strictly Come Dancing back in 2013.
When we catch up with the 33 year old – who is mother to daughters Sophia, eight, and Liberty, four, and sons Johnny, one, and four-month-old Jack – she’s excited to be launching her second party wear collection for Lipsy. And this time, she’s roped in her eldest daughter Sophia!
Here Abbey – whose husband confirmed last week that they are ‘100 per cent’ stopping at four children – tells us how she feels about Sophia following in her footsteps and reveals why this Christmas is going to be special in the Clancy/crouch household...
How is life as a mother of four? I think we’re still figuring it out, to be honest! It’s hard because you want to work, you want to do stuff for you like go to the gym, or meet your friend for a coffee, but you’ve got four kids. You’ve got the school run, you’ve got homework, you’ve got after-school clubs, play dates and toddler groups. It’s finding that balance and not feeling guilty about leaving them to have an hour to yourself. It’s hard as a mum and you’ve just got to listen to your body, go with whatever feels right to you and follow your heart. When I’m at home and the kids are driving me crazy, I want to go to work and be on my own for an hour. I love having a busy house, though, it just feels really natural to me.
Do you have any help?
I literally couldn’t do what I do without my mum, she’s helped me so much. If I didn’t have her help I’d be in a terrible position! I don’t leave them with anyone. For people who don’t have a good family support system around them, it must be so hard to leave your baby with a stranger and trust them. I’ve got friends whose mums have passed away and they have to go back to work and they have to trust other people. There are great people out there but it’s hard and it’s scary. My mum loves them, and they like her being around because she’s probably not as strict as I am!
How have Sophia, Liberty and Johnny responded to baby Jack? He’s just so good, he’s slipped in so easily. The other kids aren’t jealous of him. Johnny’s forever kissing him and he wants to hold him, it’s lovely. They love him. It kind of feels like we’ve never been without him, really. But there’s no sleep going on, Johnny and Liberty still get up in the night, then the baby wakes up. I’m literally running on empty.
How do you handle the lack of sleep?
I’m like a zombie! We keep trying to remind ourselves that it’s temporary, and this time next year we should be alright. Sophia and Liberty are in school now so in the day it’s just Johnny and Jack at home. Johnny starts nursery in January a couple of mornings a week, so I’ll be like: ‘Where have all my babies gone?’
You’ve previously said to me that Johnny is your favourite – is that still the case? [Laughs] He’s the prince! Yes, he’s still the favourite and he’s definitely a mummy’s boy. Johnny’s just gorgeous, he’s really gentle and loving. He’s always cuddling and kissing me.
How was working with Sophia on your Lipsy collection?
I absolutely loved it. She was doing her own poses and I was really proud of her. Having four kids, sometimes it’s hard to give each one individual attention. It was nice to do something together that was totally dedicated to her, and we can have the pictures to look back on forever. Obviously it’s party season, so there’s a lot of glitz and glamour in this collection. There’s also a lot of black – my favourite colour. I just feel safer in my black items! We’ve done an amazing purple lurex dress. I shy away from colour quite a lot, but these are more jewelled, muted tones, so it’s a different take on the black.
How did the idea to shoot with Sophia come about?
Sophia is obsessed with clothes and dressing up, and when I broached the idea with Lipsy they loved it. She’s a great age to do it and she’s telling all her friends from school. There’s so much bad stuff going on in the world, I thought it would be a lovely thing to do. I love the collection; it’s so festive and there’s great occasion wear, which would be good for a Christmas wedding or party.
What are your plans for this party season?
It’s hard getting a babysitter for four, so our nights out are few and far between! I’m definitely going to be dressing up over Christmas, though, so I’ll be wearing my collection then.
What are your plans for Christmas this year?
I’m really excited this year as it’s the first year we’ll have Peter home for Christmas. Previously he’d be training on Christmas Day; he hasn’t had a Christmas dinner in the past 15 years. It’ll be nice to have him home and have our family complete. I’ve been doing work on our house, getting it more homely. I’m hoping our new kitchen will be done for Christmas.
What style advice would you give to women wanting to push the boundaries for party season? Having four kids, I’m constantly tired, so it’s easy to fall into that downward spiral of not making an effort. That makes you feel worse. It’s the perfect time to make an effort and get out there. It makes you feel better about yourself. If you’re afraid to wear colour, go for more muted jewel tones, dark purples or a bit of animal print.
You and Peter worked with Children With Cancer. How was that?
The charity helps kids with their treatments and offers support for their families. I can’t help but think how lucky I am looking at my own family. If there’s anything we can do to raise awareness, we’ll do it.
What’s next for you?
I’ve got my launch for this collection on October 17, and we’ve already been working on the spring/summer range. It’s non-stop really. I’m also doing up my house, getting ready for Christmas and already trying to get some presents sorted. It’s going to be a special Christmas having Peter at home. He can actually have a drink too!