Interview in The Hot Tub … Helen Fospero

From reporting at Ground Zero to getting married, TV presenter Helen Fospero has graced our screens on GMTV, Sky, and the BBC.  Here we talk to her about relaxation, role models, and being a mum!

What is your average day like?

There’s no such thing as an average work day. Every day is different, which is one of the aspects I love. When I’m not working, I take the children to school, nip to the gym for a quick workout and on to Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill for a flat white. The rest of the day is spent replying to emails and calls, generally chasing my tail to get everything done before the kids come home.

Do you have a role model?

My role model is mum.  She’s 71 going on 40 and takes care of us all so well. She comes to London from Lincolnshire every fortnight to help bring some sanity to our crazy hours and to spend time with the children. She’s the best mum a girl could hope for and if I end up half as good as she is I’ll be chuffed.

What have been your best and worst moments in your work so far?

The worst moment of my work life was witnessing the twin towers come down on September 11th from the fire escape of my apartment when I worked in New York for GMTV. The best moment was realising around that time I wanted to marry my American producer Carl.

What’s the strangest experience you have had at work?

The strangest experience I’ve had at work was when I was heavily pregnant with my youngest, Jack. I was days away from his due date when I got called in to Sky News to host an extra show. Within a minute of going live at 10pm, Phil Spector was found guilty of murdering Lana Clarkson in LA. There was so much adrenalin running through my veins, I started getting pains and thought I was going in to labour on air!

How do you stay in shape?

I do intense resistance weights for 15 minutes (yes 15 minutes) three times a week at The Library Gym in London and box once a week at The Vault in the East End with Kevin Campion. Kevin says 80 per cent of keeping in shape is what you eat so I try to eat lean and clean - although I’m no saint.

What’s your idea of the perfect day of relaxation?

My perfect dream day of relaxation would be sitting by a roaring fire in the countryside with a pile of glossy magazines and newspapers, chilling out with the kids and my husband. I never say no to a spa treatment so a massage or facial would complete it.

What advice would you give to other mums trying to juggle work and family life?

It’s hard juggling work and family life, and getting the balance right is a constant battle. Don’t be too hard on yourself - no-one is perfect. Try to make as much time for your children as you can because blink and they’ve grown up.  You won’t go to your grave wishing you’d worked harder, but you might wishing you’d been there more for the little moments.

Do you have a ‘desert island’ beauty product that you just can’t appear on screen without?

My desert island beauty product would be Payot AOX day cream. Studio lights are harsh on my skin but this cream feels like skin food and helps my makeup go on beautifully. I also love Hourglass Film Noir mascara.

Do you have a favourite spa treatment and why?

My favourite treatment is a hydrotherapy SkinCeuticals facial by Hannah Orchard. I treated myself to a course last year and my skin was glowing.

When do you feel your happiest?

I’m happiest when I wake up at the weekend and our kids have sandwiched themselves in between us in bed.

Complete this sentence: A beautiful woman is … kind, thoughtful, generous, gentle and loving.