Having spent years interviewing the world's biggest stars, DJing at festivals and hosting the nation's pop music shows, Jo Whiley has cemented her reputation as the coolest woman on the airwaves.
© Elisabeth Hoff, Courtsey of L’Oréal ParisBut, when HELLO! asks the broadcaster whether her four children would agree with that assessment, she bursts out laughing.
"Absolutely not!" she says. "I'm the one who gets ridiculed in the family. I'm the butt of all the jokes. Anytime I try to dance or sing, or I say anything, nothing will ever impress them; it will just amuse them. They take the mickey out of absolutely everything – which is quite right."
Joining us for this exclusive interview for HELLO!'s Ageless Week - in which we mention nobody's age - Jo tells us about her happy family life, how she keeps fit and healthy in midlife and why age doesn't matter to her.
She also looks back on her extraordinary career, which spans more than 30 years, during which time she has interviewed the likes of David Bowie, George Michael, Liam Gallagher, Amy Winehouse and Dolly Parton.
© Elisabeth Hoff, Courtsey of L’Oréal ParisAmong the roster of famous names that Jo has chatted to, there have been a few highlights – and she admits to getting star-struck on more than one occasion.
"Madonna always stands out, because as a woman, she's just this incredible role model. I have a lot of respect for everything she's ever done and she's really nice. She's incredibly firm and very intimidating, but she's pretty special," she says.
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"I was so shy and nervous about interviewing Samuel L Jackson that I was reduced to a gibbering wreck," she admits. "I only had about five minutes and was trying to make a good impression, but it wasn't my best interview – I wish I could do it again.
"By contrast, I was really obsessed with John Malkovich, and he was so charming. My mouth was so dry that my tongue literally stuck to the roof of my mouth, and I couldn't speak. And he said: 'I'll just make us a cup of tea, shall I?'"
As an ambassador for L'Oreal Paris's Age Perfect Campaign, Jo says she's proud to support a campaign that celebrates women for their achievements, rather than labelling them according to age.
© Elisabeth Hoff, Courtsey of L’Oréal Paris"My friends say they love being the age they are because they're confident in who they are right now. And they don't care what people think. You're more bothered about fighting fires, looking after parents, looking after your kids. Life is all around you, and you care less about the wrinkles and your body shape, because it's kind of irrelevant," she says.
"This campaign appeals so much because it's about celebrating women for what they've achieved and who they are and everything that they are doing right now to be brilliant.
"I've never wanted to be judged by my sex, my age, my class, by anything. I just want to be judged for the person that I am. It's always been about loving music, loving sport, loving my kids, loving my family, looking after my sister," continues Jo, whose younger sister Frances has the genetic disorder cri du chat syndrome. "It's everything that makes me who I am today. That's what I want to be judged by. I don't want to be judged by the age I just happen to be at this moment in time."
© GettyTalking about her happy family life with her music executive husband Steve Morton, their adult children India, Jude and Cassius and teenager Coco, Jo continues: "You get to this age, and you realise you want to be around and active with your kids for as long as possible. So my priorities above all are the health and happiness of my family. I don't cook and I work in the evenings so I don't look after the family that way but I do make sure we have a lot of fun together. We go to gigs and festivals and do lots of activities together - from water sports to running, theatre trips and art galleries."
Coco, meanwhile, has influenced Jo with her skincare routine, which involves using L'Oréal Paris's Hyaluronic Acid Serum, Vitamin C and the new L'Oréal Paris Age Perfect Collagen Day Cream.
"There's so much on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, so I watch Coco and see what she does," she says. "Now we stand side by side in the bathroom, and I'm doing my routine and she's doing hers."
HELLO! has collaborated with L'Oréal Paris on this special The Ageless Issue, dedicated to women who are not solely defined by a number, and in celebration of the L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Campaign.
To read the full exclusive interview, pick up the latest issue of HELLO! on sale in the UK on Monday. You can subscribe to HELLO! to get the magazine delivered free to your door every week or purchase the digital edition online via our Apple or Google apps.
