The NATION'S PE TEACHER

Angela Sara West chats exclusively with Joe Wicks about breaking fitness records, fatherhood, his new book and how living in Richmond is his dream come true

- Angela Sara West

Epsom-born fitness expert Joe Wicks is a man with a tailor-made plan. Dedicated to making people fitter, stronger, healthier, and happier, the qualified nutritional adviser not only creates bespoke workouts, but also healthy online meal plans. The phenomenally-popular fitness guru is ranked the ‘fifth most influential fitness person worldwide’ by Forbes, having transformed his personal training business into a multi-million-pound empire.

No ordinary Joe, the Surrey-based trainer has taken the fitness and online nutrition world by storm. With over 100,000 client transformations under his fitness belt, plus a No.1 fitness DVD to boot, the workout whizz is the UK’s first Instagram superstar, the second-most influential person in the food industry and author of the UK’s second-bestselling cookbook of all time; his first book, Lean In 15, sold a cool 77,000 copies in its first week alone. The creator of the UK’s biggest tailored-weight-loss programme, his trademark The 90 Day Plan is inspiring the whole world to not only work out, but to cook healthily, too.

An inspiration to the nation, and indeed the whole planet, he’s now a hotter-than-ever household name, having wowed the whole world with his new virtual fitness classes for kids. As schools closed and lockdown began, the innovative health maestro became a man on a mega mission. Despite breaking his hand, a determined Joe vowed to get the country’s children moving, through free daily workouts.

Fresh from hosting his now-famous 9am PE session, he’s full of beans as he picks up the phone. “I’ve just done my workout and am having a little stretch now, so I’ve got plenty of energy today,” Joe tells me.