Una Healy has plenty of cause for celebration right now. She recently released her latest single and last month, she marked 15 years since The Saturdays' debut single If This Is Love stormed the charts. But nowadays, her happy place is with her two children, Aoife, 11, and eight-year-old Tadhg.
Una Healy on motherhood
“They’re like my little friends now,” says the proud mum, catching up with HELLO! for this exclusive photoshoot and interview.
"I'm still their mother and I’ll always put them first, but we do things that friends would do, like going out for dinner or watching a film. That’s the relationship I have with them.”
Una's move to Ireland
It's three years since the family moved to Ireland's County Tipperary, where Una grew up, and "it was a hundred per cent the right decision", she says. "It was the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and I’d been on my own with the kids for months. I was struggling, not having my support system around me, so my family were like: 'You need to come home,'" adds the star, whose parents live next door.
Una and Ben Foden co-parenting
The youngsters are spending the second half of the summer holidays with their dad, former England rugby player Ben Foden, who lives in New York with his wife Jackie and their three-year-old daughter Farrah. "I'm really happy for them that they have summers in New York and that they’re making lovely memories with their dad, stepmother and sister," she says. "Our dynamic is probably different to many people’s, but there are lots of people who have families where the parents aren't together any more. You just manage it as best you can."
The Saturdays' friendship
Last month, Una and her The Saturdays bandmates Mollie King, Rochelle Humes, Frankie Bridge and Vanessa White, marked 15 years since their release of their debut single If This Is Love. “We’re all in a group chat and we were wishing each other a happy 15 years,” says Una, 41. 'Imagine, we can actually say that was 15 years ago now,' then she put the emoji of a granny,” adds the star, laughing.
The Saturdays' reunion
Una still enjoys a close bond with her fellow Saturdays after the band went on hiatus in 2014 and often shares photos on social media when they reunite. "It does feel like 15 years ago for me because I feel as though I’ve lived a lot of life since then, in a really good way," she says. On whether The Saturdays are planning to get back together, Una says a reunion is "not on the cards any time in the near future". "I still feel that the time will come when we all feel it is the right thing to do; it just isn’t right now. All the girls are busy and I’m proud to see how well they’re all doing," she adds.
Una's solo career
I would love one day to have a companion to share my life with
Una’s solo career is going from strength to strength, with her last country-inspired single, Walk Away, going down a storm with fans. Walk Away is an empowering breakup ballad, but Una often finds her own love life in the spotlight. "This is just one of the downsides to being in the public eye,” she says. "I would love one day to have a companion to share my life with. But until I’m certain that I’m with that person, I want to protect any relationship I have as much as I can."
Photos: JACK ALEXANDER
To read the full article, pick up the latest issue of HELLO! on sale now. 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.