Having just turned 45, just finished her stint in the West End show 9 to 5, about to release a new album and busy being a doting mother to her two boys, Louise Redknapp often makes headlines. And while the former Strictly star has remained quiet about her dating life since her split from ex-husband Jamie in 2017, this hasn't stopped the rumour mill from churning – something her sons have picked up on.
Louise with her sons Beau and Charley
Speaking exclusively to HELLO! at the launch of BT's latest broadband offering BT Halo, Louise said: "My kids, they're also my best friends, I made a really early pact with them, I said you're always going to read things and hear things and I'm just gonna let you know, I'm never going to lie to you even if it's something you don't want to hear. I don't want you to read things. The papers will say I had a date with someone or I'm doing something and my kids will ask, 'Did you?' I say, 'If I do, I'll tell you.'"
Louise shares sons Charley, 15, and Beau, ten, with footballer ex-husband Jamie. And when it comes to dating in the Redknapp household, Louise admits that her sons are equally as protective over her as she is over them: "We're protective over each other, my 15-year-old is super protective over me - he's 6.ft 2 he's huge!"
Louise with her eldest son Charley
However, Louise reveals that she hasn't been on a specifically 'romantic' date since her divorce: "I've not been on a proper old-fashioned date in two and half years since I've been divorced. I've not been asked 'would you like to go on a date to this nice place' once." Although, that doesn't mean Louise is anti the dating scene: "I think it's lovely though, I think people should date more often, just go out and get to know someone and go on a date." She admitted: "I'm not always confident in how I look or when I might go on a date or anything like that, those things I'm really unconfident about but I'm confident in my ability and what I'm good at and that's something I didn't have in my 20's."
Louise has been focusing on her new album, Heavy Love, which is coming out in January 2020. Dealing with her breakup only made song-writing more emotionally tough, as she said: "I think it was therapeutic but also kind of tough because for me I can't write unless I'm feeling something… I never wanted to write a damming divorce album, that's not me and I certainly respect and care about Jamie far too much to even think about doing something like that."
Louise with ex-husband Jamie Redknapp
Both of their sons are taking after their parents in different ways. "They've definitely got my flamboyant side, they love a good time, they're really social," said Louise. "The younger one has his dad's work ethic. Jamie is very, you know to become a footballer you have to be really, really dedicated." She added: "But they like to be the life and soul of every party and I'd say they get that from me, sorry Jamie!"
More: See inside Louise Redknapp's Surrey home
Louise spoke to us on the day of her birthday as she shot her new campaign for BT's latest broadband offering, BT Halo. Did we mention that amongst Louise's busy schedule, she also only moved into her house a few months ago? Therefore Louise's support for BT's impressive broadband tech comes as no surprise, as she admitted: "They said they would send someone to my house to organise everything and sort all my tech out and I've got a teenage son so you can imagine, X-box, WIFI… so when they said what the concept was I was like 'I could actually really do with this.'"
Home Tech Expert support is available for BT broadband customers nationwide with Halo customers able to receive inclusive visits as part of their plan. For more information on BT's Home Tech Expert Service, customers can visit www.BT.com/halo.
OTHER: Jamie Redknapp shares sweet holiday snaps with lookalike sons in Portugal