Max Darnton and Binky Felstead
(Picture: Instagram)Former Made In Chelsea star Binky Felstead has shed light on juggling motherhood with her busy career as she looks ahead to her star-studded wedding in Corfu.
The mum-of-two, 31, told the Standard about how she has been settling into become a mum for the second time last year and declared she is the “happiest” she has ever been.
However, she did confess her and husband Max Darnton are “not sleeping very well” as their eight-month-old son Wolfie is “waking up all the time”.
To counter tiredness, the fitness guru revealed the couple have set themselves a strict nighttime routine - including banning their phones from the bedroom - in order to “unwind and relax” after a long day.
Opening up about family life, she said: “I feel like I’m the happiest I’ve ever been now. I feel wholesome, content and happy. I’ve always wanted a lovely family which I’ve now got.”
She also has a four-year-old daughter India who she shares with her former partner and ex Made in Chelsea co-star Joshua Patterson.
Dealing with the pressures of motherhood, the TV star said finding time for yourself is important.
“Finding time to yourself, trying to run businesses and juggling a hundred different things in the air, it’s quite hard to find time for yourself,” she said.
“It’s so important. They say, ‘happy mummy, happy baby’, so even if it’s going to get your hair done, going to the gym, taking five minutes out of your day to go and read a book.
“You’re no longer the priority when you’ve had a child. They are your everything so you’ve got to try and find a little bit of balance. It’s hard.”
She has swapped late nights and booze this month for a more “wholesome” routine of evenings in and morning HIIT classes in a bid to get ready for her upcoming wedding in Corfu.
The star cut down on drinking in January and she is ditching it altogether this month to get herself into a “really healthy routine”.
She added: “I’m not missing feeling hungover and tired. Lots of exercise and early nights is the way forward for us at the moment.”
The former Made In Chelsea star married businessman Max Darnton in a civil ceremony last July, with low-key celebrations in the UK due to Covid regulations.
Now she is having a big wedding in Corfu this summer.
She has planned a star-studded guestlist complete with her former Made in Chelsea co-stars Ollie Locke, Rosie Fortescue, Louise Thompson and Millie Mackintosh in attendance.
The mum-of-two, who admitted to taking a “hands off and chilled out” approach to being a bride, is planning a week-long party with all her and husband’s friends and family following the intimate ceremony they had last year.
“This is will a week party basically, with all our friends and family who we haven’t been able to see for a while.” She added the occasion will be made even more special “after two years of being locked up” due to the pandemic.
Reflecting on the 11 years since she joined the hit reality TV show Made in Chelsea, she added: “It was a lot of fun. We were very fortunate, we got taken away to incredible countries, stayed in the best places, amazing things we got to do at a young age.
“I had the best time. Obviously with fame comes ups and downs but I’m very fortunate to be where I am today because of that show. I feel like I’m the happiest I’ve ever been now though.”
Her advice to her younger self would be: “Never take yourself too seriously and have fun. Enjoy your life as much as possible.”
As a brand ambassador for Glade, she is promoting the new Glade Aromatherapy Cool Mist Diffuser which she said is part of her wind-down evening routine.
She said: “I absolutely love it. The cool mist diffuser has different colours you can chose from. Whichever you find more relaxing. I love the lavender and sandalwood scent.
“Every evening, when I get into bed, that’s probably at 7.30pm, as soon as the kids have gone to bed, we put on the cool mist diffuser and basically chill, chat, unwind, relax. It’s a lovely little routine we’ve got going on in the evenings.”
The Glade® Aromatherapy Cool Mist Diffuser is now available from all major resellers including Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys, Morrison, and Wilko.
