Louise Minchin has always been a woman who has chosen to walk the road less travelled. Easy routes – whether as a journalist, presenter or mother-of-two – are not an option for the 55-year-old. “I’m absolutely passionate about adventure and being intrepid, courageous, brave,” explains Louise, who spent 20 years on BBC Breakfast before taking her leave in 2021.
“I get so much from doing challenges that I then bring to other parts of my life. I’m much more resilient when the going gets tough.” And in a long and varied TV and radio career, she has had to be extraordinarily resilient.
In the early noughties, while working on Radio 5 Live, BBC bosses told Louise to “find another job” when she asked if she could reduce her work hours to spend more time at home after giving birth to her first daughter Mia.
“That was a long time ago now – my daughter is now 22 – and I hope and have been assured by the BBC that things have changed. But, at the time, it was really hard because I was working in the evening,” she tells OK!. “I was working from 4pm till midnight with a six-month-old, and I asked if I could reduce my hours or do one day a week less, but was told that wasn’t going to be possible.”
She refused to accept such treatment and called their bluff, leaving the role for pastures new. “A lot has changed, so I can’t speak for people’s experiences now, but I have been assured that that would not be the case any more.”
Denne historien er fra April 29, 2024-utgaven av OK! UK.
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Denne historien er fra April 29, 2024-utgaven av OK! UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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THE PITFALLS OF AT-HOME REMEDIES
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GREEK RETREATS
Relax and unwind at some of the Greek islands' best wellness destinations, offering sun, sea - and spas
Food from home
Romy Gill takes us on a journey through the ancestral kitchens of the Bengal and Punjab regions by sharing 70 of her beloved family recipes
DANCING QUEEN: 'You'd have to shovel me out of my Strictly chair'
Shirley Ballas loves her role as head judge on the hit BBC dance show and despite struggling with back pain, she won't be putting her feet up any time soon, she tells OK! in an exclusive interview
FAMILY TIME: 'I feel content and in a good place - I was so different before I became a mum'
Reality TV star Ferne McCann on motherhood, marriage and being inspired by her children
THE MATCHMAKER: 'I would pay to go on My Mum, Your Dad if I wasn't in a relationship'
As the hit ITV dating series where single parents get a second chance of finding love returns, host Davina McCall reveals why the show is such a success
REEL DRAMA: BRAD STEALS THE SHOW AT MAJOR MOVIE EVENT
A host of screen stars graced the red carpet for the 81st Venice International Film Festival
FAMILY MATTERS: 'PETE AND I GET ON EACH OTHER'S NERVES, BUT WE LAUGH EVERY DAY'
Presenter Abbey Clancy tells us her secret to a happy marriage and why she loves the chaos of family life
SUMMER OF LOVE: 'We just match each other perfectly'
Olympic swimmer Matthew Richards marries fiancée Emily Large in a fairytale ceremony, making it a summer that they'll never forget
LIFE, LOVE AND DUTY: QUEEN CAMILLA'S JOURNEY INTO THE SPOTLIGHT
Following another busy week of duties, it's clear Queen Camilla has taken to her role in the monarchy “like a duck to water\" says former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond