Rochelle Humes is the ultimate modern woman. Not only has she efficiently made the transition from pop star to businesswoman, broadcaster and author, she has also successfully taken control of her own management and used her status to help others.
Rochelle Humes on her Hello! Fashion cover shoot
It was last October that Rochelle decided to represent herself and founded talent management agency, The RH Group. She figured that she knows herself better than anyone else does, "And I don’t work in stocks and shares – things aren't constantly evolving and changing."
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Vest, £28, Trousers, £54, Heels, £54, all Next
She explains how she likes to use her public image to help others. "I think sometimes we can take for granted the platform that we have and what we can do with it. There is always so much going on and life can get in the way. But I think about when I was younger and what I would need to see. I’m fortunate I can make noise around some topics. I’ll never take that for granted. "As well as a cookery book, At Mama's Table, Rochelle has written children's books. The Mega Magic Hair Swap, which celebrates loving curly hair; The Mega Magic Teacher Swap was written to help children feel confident and excited about moving up a school year. And My Little Dragon, the first in a series of three picture books, launches this month and follows Blake, Rochelle's son, on a mealtime adventure.
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Top, £36, Next
Then, just before the pandemic, "lovely timing" she laughs, Rochelle launched skincare line My Little Coco, which focuses on giving mothers accessible products for all skin and hair types. "It was probably the biggest learning curve I’ve had. I was head-first and learned a lot on my feet." Luckily, after meeting with retailers, some who didn’t understand there is a market for people with curly hair, she met with Boots, who totally understood her vision. "Someone was looking down on me because Boots was actually one of the only retailers that stayed open throughout the pandemic, because they are a pharmacy. So the only shops open were chemists like Boots and the supermarkets – so people would take their time to browse because it was like a bloody trip out," she laughs. But it seemed to do the trick, as they had sold out by the end of the first week and were requesting more stock.
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Hello! Fashion - November 2022
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Having always been level-headed, Rochelle, who entered the entertainment industry at the age of 12 when she joined S Club, has often been outspoken about inequalities in the music industry. Something that was amplified by her enjoying success with The Saturdays while her husband, Marvin, was following the same path as a member of JLS. “It was a weird parallel because we were doing the same thing – only I’m female and he’s male. "The difference between how females were treated and the questions we were asked was crazy."
Rochelle and Marvin, who are often described as a power couple, have worked on-screen together presenting music shows Playlisters and The Hit List; and, guest-presenting This Morning on several occasions. She tells us that their three children, Alaia-Mai, Valentina Raine and Blake Hampton, are blasé about seeing their parents on the TV. "They’re so used to it, but I remember when Alaia first started school, her teacher told me she overheard her ask the other children what channel their mum and dad are on. So that did make me chuckle. But they’re only excited when we’re on the show with someone that they like or think is cool. They’d rather watch YouTube channels than us on TV."When we speak, Rochelle, who has loved fashion since she can remember, is preparing for her HFM cover shoot to introduce her fifth fashion series with Next, which is based around her personal style. "All the pieces reflect that on-the-go person that leads a busy life and wants their outfit to feel pulled together, but also chic." Her favourites are the coats, "They’re amazing, I don’t want to brag, but they are".
The full interview appears in the November issue of Hello! Fashion, out now…
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