Happy Mum

We have an international bestselling author in the studio this week! It’s the brilliant Matt Haig.

Matt talks to Gi about his decision to homeschool his children and, drawing on his own experiences of depression and recovery, why he believes it’s not about shielding our children from life’s difficulties, but helping them develop the tools to cope when things get hard.

He also shares how his son’s autism diagnosis led him to discover he had autism and ADHD himself, and how better understanding himself has helped him understand his son.

Matt’s latest novel, The Midnight Train, and a graphic novel adaptation of his multi-million-copy bestseller The Midnight Library are out now!

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This week Giovanna is joined by model and presenter Hannah Cooper-Dommett.

Hannah opens up about how her relationship with husband Joel has changed since they became parents to their two boys, and how they've navigated keeping their marriage strong amid the chaos of family life.

She also shares what it was like to step into the role of carer when her mum was diagnosed with a brain tumour, and how she came to accept that her mum couldn’t be the support for her children that she had always imagined.

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Giovanna catches up with her friend Becky Cheetham this week to talk about Becky's experience as a sibling carer.

Becky’s sister, Hannah, has cerebral palsy, and Becky opens up to Gi about the challenges and joys of growing up as part of a family shaped by disability. She reflects on feeling like ‘the glass child’ – the sibling whose needs can sometimes take a back seat – and the impact this has had on her life.

Plus, Becky shares her thoughts on the future, navigating her role as a sibling carer and what it means for her relationship with Hannah as they get older.

You can follow Hannah and Becky (Cheethams with Dreams) on Instagram and TikTok x

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This week Giovanna sits down with the incredibly talented Annabel Scholey!

You’ll know Annabel from Rivals and, of course (the Happy Mum team’s personal favourite) The Split. But behind the scenes, Annabel was navigating the end of her own marriage, alongside balancing her acting career and raising her daughter.

Annabel opens up to Gi about the moment she knew her marriage was over, and talks about the grief that came with accepting she doesn’t have the ‘traditional’ family unit she once planned.

You can catch Annabel in Winter on ITV now, and Rivals Part 2 arrives on 11 November.

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What happens when you’ve spent so long holding everything together that you simply can’t anymore?

This week, Giovanna sits down with former Editor-in-Chief of HELLO! Magazine Rosie Nixon to talk about the breakdown that became the catalyst for transforming her life.

Rosie opens up about motherhood, the pressure to keep going and the guilt that can come with admitting you’re struggling.

Rosie’s book, The PRO Method: Pause, Reflect & Organise, is available now!

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Trigger warning: this episode includes discussions around bereavement and cancer. If you feel this may be a difficult listen, please choose another episode x

Giovanna is joined this week by her good friend and CoppaFeel! co-founder Maren Sheldon.

Maren opens up about navigating first-time motherhood alongside her twin sister Kris's incurable breast cancer diagnosis. and shares the honest, sometimes heartbreaking, and often unexpectedly funny realities of parenting through grief.

The new edition of Kris Hallenga's memoir Glittering a Turd, featuring new material from Maren and a foreword by Dawn French, is out 24th September. 

Head to CoppaFeel! for more helpful information and resources xx

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This week, the hilarious Maddy Lucy Dann joins us for a chat about becoming a mum for the first time.

Maddy tells Gi what it’s really like balancing life as an A&E doctor with pregnancy, including navigating night shifts while expecting, and how becoming a mum has changed the way she sees her work.

She also opens up about sharing her aspects of her life online, including the criticism she faced over a breastfeeding video, and the reaction to her viral discussion of Bonnie Blue.

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This week on Happy Mum, we are joined by strong, inspiring and incredible mother of two Sophie Derry.

When Sophie's daughter Odette started vomiting on car journeys and having headaches, doctors initially put it down to travel sickness. An eye test changed everything, revealing a brain tumour that would lead to emergency surgery and fifteen further operations over seven months. Before the family could catch their breath, Sophie's younger daughter Eliza was diagnosed with leukaemia.

Sophie opens up to Gi about what it's like to face childhood cancer not once but twice -- the fear, the exhaustion, and the moments of hope.

If you’d like to show your support for some of the charities that have been there for Sophie, you can find links to them below:

PASIC 

https://www.pasic.org.uk

When You Wish Upon a Star 

https://www.whenyouwishuponastar.org.uk

Young Lives v Cancer 

https://www.younglivesvscancer.org.uk

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This week, our favourite reality star turned singing and cooking sensation Megan McKenna joins Giovanna in the Happy Mum studio!

Megan tells Gi all about becoming a mum to Landon, including her experience with IVF and what it’s like living between two countries as a new mum.

She also reflects on the bullying she experienced at school, and how it shaped her confidence and the way she wants to parent.

Plus, stay tuned for a surprise at the end of the episode! 👀

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In this episode, Made in Chelsea's Sam and Alice Vanderpump join Giovanna to talk about the reality of becoming parents.

Alice bravely opens up about what life feels like for her right now as she navigates postnatal depression. She talks honestly about anxiety, feeling isolated and how she hasn't felt like herself since becoming a mum.

Sam shares what it has been like supporting Alice through her mental health struggles, while also reflecting on his own health journey and how becoming a dad has given him a new perspective on what his own parents went through.

Find out more about Sam's end-stage liver disease diagnosis -- Made in Chelsea: Sam Vanderpump’s Story is available to stream on Channel 4 now

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