- 2 days ago
Kimberley Walsh Talks To Hello!'s Ainhoa Barcelona About Motherhood, Taking Baby Cole On Set And Getting Back To Work
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00:01So Kimberly, this is a very exciting new role,
00:04Rebecca, playing Rebecca in The Lodge Series 2.
00:07Yes.
00:07Can you tell us a bit more about your character in the series,
00:10why you decided to get involved?
00:12Yes, so I play Rebecca, a music manager,
00:16and how she comes into the series is Kayleigh,
00:20one of the eight main characters,
00:22leaves The Lodge and goes to music school,
00:25and I discover new talent.
00:27So I find talent in Kayleigh,
00:30and I do cause a little bit of drama
00:32between Kayleigh and another character in the show, Frankie,
00:35played by Lena.
00:37I stir up a little bit of trouble over a song that they're both on.
00:42Kayleigh actually wrote the song,
00:44and Rebecca's quite a ruthless manager.
00:47So, yeah, she causes a bit of drama in The Lodge.
00:50And you've said that she's obviously very different to yourself.
00:52How is it playing a completely different character?
00:55Yeah, she's quite ruthless,
00:56and a bit more steely than I would like to think of myself.
01:01So it's nice to play a character that's not like me.
01:04She does have a warmth, which I feel is more similar to me,
01:09but she's definitely got an edge that I wouldn't have.
01:12So it was quite fun to play that side of Rebecca for sure.
01:16And, obviously, before Girls Aloud, you were into acting,
01:19and you did acting after.
01:21How has it been revisiting acting and going back into it?
01:24Yeah, I've acted a lot growing up and before the band, as you say,
01:27but it was lovely to go back into a show and actually do a recurring role,
01:31and, you know, be in, like, you know, a few episodes,
01:34because I tend to, I sort of tended to do, like, a one-episode appearance
01:38in things that I've done more recently.
01:40So it was nice to actually be, you know, more involved and part of something that's so brilliant.
01:46Yeah, and surrounded by lots of teenagers as well, keeping...
01:49Yes, surrounded by lots of very talented teenagers on a daily basis.
01:55It was quite nice, though, because you kind of see all their enthusiasm
01:58and see the talent and their drive, and you just think,
02:02what an amazing opportunity for them to be part of a show like this.
02:05Like, they're all just having the time of their lives.
02:07It would have been, like, my dream job at their age.
02:09And you obviously went to Belfast, and it was your first project
02:13after having Cole and brought Cole with you.
02:15Yes.
02:15And how was that having Cole on?
02:17On board.
02:18Yeah.
02:18Baby on board.
02:19Yeah.
02:19It's very different when you've got a baby on board, I'll be honest.
02:22He was only three months old when we did the first set of filming dates,
02:27so I was a little bit, like, apprehensive about how it would work.
02:31But actually, the younger they are, the easier they are,
02:34because they just kind of want cuddles, food, nappy change.
02:38It's all quite straightforward.
02:40The second time I went back, he was a bit older, and it was actually harder,
02:43because he decided to wake up far more regularly in the night.
02:48So I'd be, like, up all night and then going on set at 5, 6am.
02:53OK.
02:54But it's amazing how you kind of, like, just click into gear.
02:58Yeah.
02:59And it was much, much nicer to have him there with me and know that he was OK,
03:03and I brought my mum along with me.
03:05So, yeah, we made it work.
03:06But, yeah, it was my first job, first job back, so it was a nice one.
03:11And do you think you could have done it without your mum?
03:13Would you have brought someone else, or...?
03:15I actually was so grateful that it was my mum that was there,
03:18because I just didn't have to worry about him at all.
03:20Yeah.
03:21Like, she would be the way I am with him, and he loved it.
03:25Like, he actually loved his little adventures in Belfast with my mum.
03:27Like, they were off sightseeing every day,
03:30and then he'd be really excited every time I'd come home.
03:33And I think, yeah, there's nobody like your mum, obviously,
03:36to look after your children, so it was nice.
03:38And it was actually really nice for us to spend a bit of time together.
03:42Yeah.
03:42And you said that you found it tough when you were, you know,
03:46sort of learning your lines with Baby Brain.
03:48Yeah.
03:48How was that?
03:49Yeah.
03:50Well, I'm usually really good at learning lines.
03:52Like, I think, because I've just done it my whole life,
03:54whether it be songs or whatever, I've never, ever had a problem.
03:57But I felt like I had to really concentrate,
03:59and I was chatting to some people on set who also had kids,
04:03and they were like, no, it's an actual thing.
04:05Like, if your baby's only a few months old,
04:07you will still have Baby Brain, and it's really hard to retain.
04:11But I think I managed to, you know, to cover it well.
04:15I don't think I let anybody down.
04:17Yeah.
04:17I was just constantly, like, going over them in my head,
04:20just trying to be the ultimate professional.
04:22Yeah, especially with the teenagers around you.
04:25When they probably just, like, soak them in overnight,
04:28and then they're, like, good to go.
04:30Yeah.
04:31So Cole was with you, and Bobby was away,
04:33having daddy time with Justin.
04:36Did you FaceTime him a lot?
04:38Did you stay in touch?
04:39Yeah, no, I did.
04:40That's the beauty of, like, iPhones,
04:42and, you know, being able to FaceTime is amazing.
04:44Although a couple of mornings, because I was always up before Bobby,
04:48so I'd call them and I'd be like,
04:49does he want to talk to me?
04:50I'm up.
04:51And Bobby would be like, no, thank you, mommy.
04:54No, thank you.
04:56I'm like, so you're really missing me then.
04:58He didn't miss me at all.
04:59Yeah.
05:00He's having a brilliant time with his dad,
05:01and when I came home it was, like, all about daddy
05:04and not so much about me.
05:06But I didn't really mind, because it means that he's, like,
05:09calls for daddy every morning, which I'm quite happy with.
05:13I'm like, see ya.
05:14Is he more like a daddy's boy?
05:16Well, he was very much a mommy's boy.
05:18And, actually, their little time bonding together
05:20has kind of turned it around, which is nice, actually.
05:23Like, I think it was all the trips into the woods
05:26to find sticks and ice cream after dinner
05:29and soft play every day.
05:30I think he got spoiled.
05:32So now he's like, mum, you're a bit boring.
05:34I'm going to see your dad.
05:35And how about Cole?
05:36Obviously, he's still very young.
05:38Yeah.
05:39He's changing a lot.
05:40He's changing a lot now.
05:41He's almost six months, so he's, like,
05:43almost sitting up by himself.
05:44He's moving a lot.
05:46He's laughing a lot.
05:47Like, he smiles all the time.
05:50He's the smiliest baby ever.
05:52He just doesn't sleep.
05:53But he can't have everything.
05:54Yeah.
05:55He'd be too perfect if he did.
05:57So is he gradually sleeping through the night?
05:59No, he is.
06:00I think, you know, at this age they're kind of teething
06:03and they get cold all the time.
06:05And it's like one little thing just throws them off.
06:07Like, oh, they get their vaccinations.
06:09And, yeah, I'm just too soft, I think.
06:11But I just, I think the second time as well,
06:14because I remember how quickly that time goes.
06:17I'm kind of, like, enjoying the little nighttime cuddles.
06:21Yeah.
06:21I'm going to live to regret saying that
06:23because he's going to be one
06:24and still not sleeping through the night
06:25and it'll be my fault.
06:27Has he been very different to Bobby?
06:30Bobby is really, like, independent
06:33and I can already see that in his character,
06:36whereas Cole, I think Cole's going to be
06:38a little bit more dependent on Mummy.
06:41So Bobby was a bit like, you leave him for a few minutes
06:44to cry for literally a couple of seconds and he'd be like,
06:46oh, I'm not going to bother, I'll go to sleep.
06:48Cole would not do that.
06:49Yeah.
06:49He would be like, I'm going to carry on crying.
06:52Yeah.
06:52Until you come back.
06:53So I can already see the change.
06:56And even now, like, Bobby's so chilled.
06:57He'll, like, wake up in the morning, lie there chatting to himself,
07:01acting things out for a while until he actually gets bored
07:04and then he's like, Mummy, Daddy.
07:07Yeah.
07:07So, yeah, I don't know what I'm going to have with Cole.
07:09He's probably going to be, like, straight up wanting to play at 5am.
07:14And what's Bobby like as a big brother?
07:16He's really good as a big brother, actually.
07:18Like, I think, obviously, you can tell that he sort of
07:21craves attention here and there, but I think he's 2,
07:23so that's natural anyway.
07:25But, like, he always wants to see Cole first thing in the morning.
07:28Like, if I don't go into him with Cole, he's like,
07:31where's baby Cole?
07:32Where is he?
07:33Like, really worried.
07:35Yeah, he's really good with him and I'm trying to teach him all the things.
07:38Like, you can't give him food, you can't give him little toys
07:41and he's sort of taking it all on.
07:43Like, you know, he really, like, he thinks he knows what he's doing.
07:46Like, I'm going to give Cole a stickle break, not a big one.
07:50I mean, not a small one, a big one.
07:52I'm like, yeah, yeah, you're getting it, you're getting it.
07:54Is he a big fan of Disney as well?
07:56Of course, yeah.
07:57I mean, it's actually only over the last 6 months
07:59that he's really got into Disney films, which is amazing for me
08:03because I'd love nothing more than to sit and watch a Disney film in the afternoon.
08:07Yeah.
08:07So I'm like, we're going through them all now.
08:09He loves Beauty and the Beast, loves it.
08:12And The Lion King he's in too, so yeah, he really does.
08:16Yeah, and obviously when The Lodge comes out in June,
08:19Yeah.
08:19He's obviously very young, but will he watch Bits or sort of recognise you on TV?
08:25Yeah, I think so, because it's on at a really good time.
08:27Like, we'll be totally, like, sat having dinner and, like, watching the Disney Channel anyway,
08:31so it's going to be fun to see his reaction when I suddenly, like, pop on the screen.
08:35He's probably going to be like, what are you doing?
08:38Yeah.
08:39Like, what's going on?
08:40I can just imagine his frowning face.
08:42Mummy, why are you on TV?
08:44He just, he doesn't really get it.
08:46Yeah.
08:46I think it, I don't know, maybe I'll, I don't think there's any point trying to explain to kids at
08:51that age.
08:51You just kind of have to let them just think of it, what they will.
08:55Yeah, he probably thinks, like, all mums and dads on TV.
08:59Yeah, I think he probably does, to be honest.
09:00And so what have you, what have you got in the pipeline now?
09:03And so I'm kind of officially back to work now, which is nice.
09:07Obviously, like, you know, I'm still going to be at home with the boys,
09:10but it's a nice balance that I'm trying to find.
09:13And I'm working on my kids' clothing range, Kimber Kids, hoping to launch that in autumn.
09:18Yeah.
09:18And so that's quite busy because we've got to sign off all the spring, summer samples and all of that
09:22stuff.
09:23So, yeah, it's keeping me very busy.
09:26And do you, do you have Bobby as your inspiration when you're designing or...?
09:30Yeah, I do actually.
09:31I actually took him with me to a couple of the design meetings just to see what he would say
09:35that he likes.
09:36So it's quite interesting to see, like, there's certain colours that they'll be just like, no.
09:40And you think, oh, maybe I should take that on board.
09:42Because I love colour.
09:45Like, I hate that all kids' clothes, especially boys, are all, like, the same colour.
09:48So I'm trying to get as much colour and fun into the range.
09:52But, yeah, he is quite a good muse because he suits everything.
09:56So, yeah, he's my little muse.
09:58And how have you found it generally, just coming back to work and juggling motherhood?
10:03Do you know, it's always going to be hard to be a working mum.
10:06I think every mother would tell you that because you've got that balance to find.
10:10And it is a juggling act, especially in the job that we do, because everything is so last minute.
10:14Like, it's not like I do a nine to five where I've got, like, childcare lockdown and I know what
10:18I'm doing here and there.
10:20It's literally like, who's going to have that one?
10:22Who's going to have that one?
10:23I'm going to pick that one up at that time.
10:25And it is really hard, but you make it work.
10:28And I think it's nice for me to obviously have a bit of time to be myself and do what
10:34I do.
10:34And then I'm a better mum when I come home to the boys.
10:37I don't want to miss anything.
10:38So I still make sure that I'm around a lot.
10:41So, yeah, it's just getting the right balance.
10:43Is there a milestone for Cole that you're particularly looking forward to?
10:46Yeah.
10:47Apart from him when he starts sleeping.
10:49Yeah, sleeping would be great.
10:52I'm starting to, like, wean him a little bit now,
10:54because he's almost six months.
10:56And for me, everything got a lot easier around that time,
10:59because I think they get more full because they're obviously eating food.
11:02And that's when Bobby started to sleep really well.
11:05And I don't know, it's like not that pressure to have to be able to feed them on demand at
11:10any second.
11:11It's like you can actually give them a little bit of food to keep them going,
11:13which is really helpful.
11:14Yeah.
11:15So, yeah, I think weaning is a big one.
11:18Yeah.
11:19Lovely.
11:19We're gonna go, we're gonna go, we'll enjoy all these questions.
11:19I think we'll see if they're waiting for you.
11:19We'll go, we'll be okay.
11:19Let's go, let's go.
11:20Bye.
11:20Bye.
11:20Bye.
11:20Today, I'm ready.
11:21Do I know.
11:21Bye.
11:21You
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