Happy Mum

Parenting SOS is back, and we’re diving into all things fussy eating with children's food guru Annabel Karmel!*   Annabel, the leading expert on nutrition and cooking for babies and children, sits down with Gi to discuss why some kids are just fussy when it comes to food (spoiler: it's not your fault!), the importance of celebrating good eating habits, and she shares some creative ways to enc...

On this week's episode, Giovanna sits down with bestselling author Holly Bourne! Holly tells Gi about the impact sleep deprivation had on her mental state when her baby daughter just wouldn't sleep. She also opens up about her long and painful journey to getting treated for endometriosis, a condition that is still widely misunderstood and misdiagnosed. Plus, Holly talks about writing her latest no...

Giovanna’s guest this week is the brilliant Fiona Button! Fiona stars as Rose in one of Gi’s favourite shows, The Split, but off screen she has an even bigger role to play as mum to 7-year-old Fordy. Fiona opens up about her experience with health anxiety, how it impacted her pregnancy and postpartum, as well as the unique qualities of being a parent with ADHD. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva...

Kate Ferdinand is back! We last spoke to Kate back in 2020, and her blended family has since grown with the arrival of Cree and Shae. Kate tells Gi all about the challenges of this new phase of motherhood, including her difficult births and spending time in NICU. She also opens up about how she and husband Rio suffered a miscarriage and the heartbreak of having to tell their children. Plus, the gu...

We're bringing ancient practices of health and wellness into the modern day for this very special episode. As parents, we know how tricky it can be to stay on top of everything but luckily Jo Woodhurst, Head of Nutrition at Ancient & Brave, is here to guide us through some simple changes you can make to help your family feel their very best. Gi and Jo discuss it all, from laying foundations fo...

This week Giovanna is joined by the incredible Jessica Brown Findlay! Jessica is an actor, perhaps best known for her role as Lady Sybil in Downton Abbey. She opens up to Gi about becoming a mum to twin boys via IVF, and the complicated feelings she experienced around her friends' pregnancies whilst struggling with her own fertility. Jessica also discusses how pregnancy affected her acting career,...

It’s a new year which means a whole host of brand new brilliant guests!  To kick things off, Gi welcomes singer and presenter Fleur East to the studio. Fleur tells Gi the amazing story of her home birth, which ended in her giving birth on her husband’s lap..! Fleur also opens up about the pressure she felt over feeding her baby girl, plus pays tribute to her late father who passed away just b...

This week we caught up with broadcasting legend Kate Thornton! Kate shares her best advice for raising young teens, finding male role models for her son, and why we should be championing single parents. Plus, Kate tells Gi why she’s not dreading the prospect empty nest! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s episode, Giovanna is joined by vegan chef and Youtuber Rachel Ama! She and Gi discuss the systemic racial bias within healthcare, and how that influenced Rachel to fight for a home birth. Plus, the highs and lows of having a covid pregnancy, the pressures of being a single mum, and of course, food! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gi’s guest this week is the hilarious actress, comedian, and content creator, Jane Dowden, aka Mum and a Mic! Jane shares her journey of conceiving her twin boys through IVF. She also reflects on the emotional turmoil she faced when she went into early labour at just 21 weeks, being forced to confront the possibility that she could lose her babies. Plus, finding a work-life balance with acting job...

Giovanna is joined this week by the writer Kerry Hudson. Kerry had a turbulent upbringing marred by poverty. She tells Gi how homelessness and time spent in and out of foster care made her all the more determined to create a sense of stability and comfort for her own son. Kerry also shares her experience of giving birth in Prague, living life to the full with a chronic illness, plus how parenthood...

For this very special episode we’ve been working with Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, which is currently in the middle of its biggest-ever fundraising appeal to build a world-leading cancer centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital. And no-one understands the significance of this appeal more than this week’s amazing guest Shaima, whose daughter Tia was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer when...

Love is in the air in the studio this week! Everyone’s favourite maître d', Fred Sirieix, perhaps best known for appearing on Channel 4's First Dates, joins Giovanna to talk all things fatherhood, food, and falling in love with the UK. Fred also opens up about dad guilt, his upbringing in France, and the pride he felt when his daughter Andrea won a bronze medal for diving in this year’s olympics!...

Giovanna quite literally fell off her chair from laughing so hard with this week’s guest Olivia Bowen! Reality royalty Olivia was runner-up on the second series of Love Island in 2016 with her now husband Alex Bowen. And six years later they became parents to baby Abel! Olivia and Gi talk body confidence, with Olivia opening up about her struggles with body image after giving birth, plus how much...

This week we have journalist and broadcasting legend Victoria Derbyshire in the studio!  Victoria tells Gi all about life as a mum of two teenage boys, blending motherhood with a hugely successful career, and how her 2015 breast cancer diagnosis inspired her to marry her partner of 17 years. Plus Victoria speaks about the domestic abuse she faced in her childhood growing up with a violent fat...

Giovanna sits down with Melissa Hemsley for this week’s delicious episode! Melissa is a former private chef, a writer, and a huge champion of sustainable, nourishing food. Now mum to baby Summer, Melissa and Gi had so much to catch up on, from IVF and pregnancy to ultra-processed foods and placenta smoothies… Melissa also opens up to Gi about her struggles with fertility and postnatal anxiety, and...

This week’s Parenting SOS is another bonus episode brought to you by Bupa, who have identified some of the most urgent questions when it comes to helping our children with their mental health. Giovanna welcomes back child psychologist Professor Sam Wass to guide us through these questions, which include how to have conversations about drugs and alcohol, and how to support a child through a period...

On this week’s episode, Giovanna is joined by Bad Girls and Eastenders actress Kellie Bright, who is also mum to three boys! Kellie talks about having two of her babies via IVF, plus tells Gi what it was like being pregnant at 44. Kellie also talks about her fight to get her son an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP), a document which describes a child’s special educational needs and should ent...

An exclusive this week as new parents Olly and Amelia Murs join Giovanna for their first interview as a couple! They tell Gi all about life with baby Madison, and Olly shares his heartbreak at having to leave Amelia and their newborn baby daughter to go on tour. Plus bodybuilder Amelia talks about training during pregnancy and her struggle with recovery after her c-section. Hosted on Acast. See ac...

Prepare to be dazzled on this week’s episode as Giovanna is joined by none other than Strictly Come Dancing legend Anton Du Beke! Anton speaks candidly about his IVF journey with wife Hannah, who was initially told she wouldn’t be able to have children, and their joy at becoming parents to twins.  Plus, Gi and Anton talk writing books for children, learning to dance, and even throw in some sp...

Did you know that 50% of mental health conditions start by the age of 14? Child psychologist Professor Sam Wass, who you might recognise from Channel 4's The Secret Life of 4- and 5-Year Olds , joins Gi to chat all things young people’s mental health, in a special Parenting SOS episode brought to you by Bupa.   Sam shares his tips and strategies for parents to have open conversations about th...

This week, Giovanna catches up with Loose Women royalty, tv presenter and mum of two, Andrea McLean! There was so much to talk about with Andrea, from her childhood in Trinidad, to getting diagnosed with endometriosis, and feeling the pressure to go back to work as the breadwinner. Plus, Andrea opens up about the ending of her marriages and navigating her role as a stepmum. Hosted on Acast. See ac...

Giovanna’s guest this week is former Love Island and Celebs go Dating star, Laura Anderson!  Laura opens up about being mum to 1-year-old Bonnie, balancing motherhood with her new job co-hosting Capital Scotland’s breakfast show, plus, as a former air hostess, Laura gives Gi her top tips for flying with children. Laura also speaks candidly about the ups and downs of life as a single parent an...

On this episode of Happy Mum Happy Baby, Giovanna welcomes Tana Ramsay - best-selling cookery book author, wife to Gordon, and mum to Meg, Holly, Jack, Tilly, Oscar, and baby Jesse! Tana tells Gi all about her IVF journey and what it’s been like raising 6 children (who range from 6 months to 26 years old)! Plus, why Gordon decided not to attend some of their births…  Tana also talks about the...

It’s estimated that around 1 in 3 families in the UK are a blended family, which means more of us than ever are becoming stepparents. Why then, is there still such a stigma attached to stepmothers in particular? And where is the support for them? These are questions Cilla Appeaning asked when she met her now husband and became a stepmum to his two children. And so she founded the Stepmums Club, a...