When Louise Redknapp decided to take on Strictly Come Dancing last year, the 42-year-old former pop star danced her way into the nation's hearts as she regained her confidence step by step. But the devoted mum's biggest support came from her family: ex-footballer husband Jamie and their sons Charley, 11, and Beau, eight. Sitting down with HELLO!, Louise tells us that her sports-mad sons were the perfect test for her new partnership with Ariel. "There's a lot of muddy washing in my house," she laughs. "I take a lot of pride in the boys feeling confident in the way they look. Half the time they live in football kits, but when they don’t I want them to be confident and happy: that’s the main thing."
EXCLUSIVE: Louise Redknapp talks Strictly, fitness and beauty
"Charley goes to his next school in September, but he's huge. He's nearly as big as his dad with size nine shoes, so he's turning into a man before my very eyes," Louise tells us. "He's becoming very interested in fashion and trends in a fun way, he's finding his feet and showing lots of interest in girls. He's becoming really his own person, which is lovely and great to see." As for who their sons take after, Louise admits they have a very sporty household. "I think secretly they'd both like to do a little bit more performance-led things, but because they're boys and sport is such a huge part of [Jamie's and my] life I think they just naturally go down that route," she says. "[Beau] is a very keen footballer and [Charley's] a really good rugby player, actually.
Louise Redknapp has opened up about being a mother to two sons
EXCLUSIVE: Louise discusses Strictly Come Dancing curse
"It's so nice for him because it takes some of the pressure off. It's hard for the boys – people want them to be amazing footballers but just because their dad does something doesn't mean they want to do the same. Although right now the young one's definitely taking after his dad," she says. Though Jamie got some stick about the 'Strictly curse' from his A League Of Their Own co-panel - including James Corden, Jack Whitehall and dad Harry Redknapp – there was nobody more excited about Louise’s success on the dance competition, though she admits she doubts he’d be up for it himself. "I'd love to see Jamie do Strictly, it would be incredible," she laughs. "I don't know how long he'd last: he'd either not turn up to rehearsals as he'd be on the golf course, or they'd never get him in the spangly pants. But if he wanted to give it a go, I'd be absolutely behind him!"
"Going into Strictly to begin with, I wasn't sure how I was going to find it, but I had an incredible time," she said. "I had a great partner in Kevin [Clifton], who made life very easy and was very inclusive of my family, [getting] my kids and Jamie to come down and all play quite a big part in it, which definitely took the stress out of the show."
"I take a lot of pride in the boys feeling confident in the way they look," she said
STORY: Louise opens up about being a working mother
Louise is now excited to carry on performing, telling us she'd love to do a West End show or musical, as well as dedicating more time to her fashion blog A Style Album, and her new partnership with Ariel to redefine the meaning of clean. "I have a huge love for fashion and appreciate how clothes can make us feel so much more confident in ourselves," she says. "My involvement with Ariel is really to try and get that message across; that we’re all the same as women. We like to keep ourselves looking the best we can and keep our clothes looking the best they can."
"My life can vary so much. I'm a mum, I work with businesses, I do some red carpets, I go to fashion week with my blog. There are a million different things I feel that I have to tick a box for, so I think that's why I most probably do stick to a bit of a fashion uniform, she says. "I love a good leather jacket, a good pencil skirt, a good pair of trousers, a cool trainer and nice sexy heel. They're your basics that if you get up in the morn and don't quite know what you feel like, a really cool pair of jeans, a sexy heel, a white t-shirt a blazer and I’m done!"
Find out more at www.supersavvyme.co.uk/ariel
