'My dad's mistakes helped me become a better father'

PE teacher to the nation Joe Wicks on exploring his troubled childhood for TV and unearthing some family truths

- CHLOE ALEXANDROU

To the nation, Joe "The Body Coach" Wicks is a happy and successful fitness guru who inspires people of all shapes and sizes to move their body. But what many may not know about the 36-yearold star, is that he wants to raise awareness about the country's mental health crisis because of his own "chaotic" childhood.

When we discuss his new BBC One documentary, Joe Wicks: Facing My Childhood, Joe tells us the film was "tough to make" after revisiting the ways his parents' mental health problems and addictions affected him.

Joe's dad Gary, 62, was addicted to heroin, while his mum Raquela, 56, lived with an eating disorder and OCD. "I remember being really upset every time my dad relapsed. I hated how drugs took him away from me," Joe said. "As a young kid I was really disruptive. When I became a teenager I got really angry because I began to understand my dad's addiction. That wa the hardest part for me."

But it seems Joe is somewhat grateful for his upbringing because it's made him the man he is today. "I think everything my mum taught me, and even my dad's mistakes, have helped me become a better husband and a better dad.