BIG INTERVIEW: TV and radio star Jenni Falconer on family, running and 25 years on air

It’s been a year of upheaval and uncertainty – and, just like the rest of us, Jenni Falconer is facing the prospect of spending Christmas without her nearest and dearest.

With her parents up in Scotland, her heart now in London, the traditional family festive routines are hanging in the balance, amidst a sea of restrictions.

The Scottish TV and radio presenter, who lives in the city with her husband James Midgley and their daughter Ella, nine, tells P.S.: “My mum and dad usually come down to stay. I guess this year might be pretty different, but we just don’t know.

“Whatever happens, we are looking forward to it. We usually get up and, if it’s late enough that Santa has been, open presents, go for a walk and catch up with friends in the neighbourhood.

“Again, it may look a little different this year, but we will still have a celebration.

“To be honest, I usually find the day pretty stressful until all the cooking is done, but after that we can just relax and enjoy it.”

Covid has meant a pretty dismal year for most of the nation – but Jenni has made sure she focuses on the positives.

And she says one of the best things to come out of 2020 is those early days of lockdown, when she was presenting her Smooth Radio breakfast show, from her beautiful Wandsworth home, giving her plenty of time to be a hands on mum.

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Jenni, 44, said: “I worked from home for a bit at the start as they wanted to limit everyone going into the building.

“And the lovely thing about that was, although I have been a mum for nine years, this was the first time I have seen Ella every morning. And it was really nice.”

This year marks two decades of wakening up the nation for Jenni, who has worked mornings since she began on GMTV in 2000.

She laughs: “I get up at 4.15am, which is nothing really. I used to get up at 2.15am, so this is like a lie in! But it does mean I miss out on mornings. Thankfully James and I have it easily balanced. He does the school drop off and I do the pick up. It does mean he gets the best deal though. He gets the happy, chatty Ella at the start of the day – and I get the hangry one at the end.

“But I love it. It’s one of the brilliant things about my job, that I get to pick my daughter up every day. Most of the presenting work I have done involved me going away from home for a week at a time, so it’s amazing now that I get to be at home. I have honestly never had this much regularity in 25 years!”

After setting up a recording studio at home, Jenni had the opportunity to start the day with her family instead of running out the door – often literally – before they wake.

“Ella would ask me to do her hair which was a novelty as usually I have to do it in plats the night before,” said Jenni.

One person who isn’t let loose on hair is actor James, who, despite playing a hairdresser in TV show Cutting It, fails to impress his girls on the styling front.

“He has tried,” she laughs. “But Ella has actually given up on him and taught herself.

“It does mean she wants to play with my hair all the time though, which isn’t always pain free!”

It was nice while it lasted but Jenni has appreciated the return to normal working life since things opened back up.

“It’s been good to get back,” she said. “If only for the routine. I am lost without one.”

Dedicated runner Jenni often turns her commute into a fitness opportunity, running the five miles home after a morning shift at Global Studios.

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“I’m fortunate that I live close enough to be able to do that – and I feel great for it,” she said. “But it is something you have to schedule, even if you’re busy. You have to say in your head ‘that’s what I’m going to do’.”

Jenni shares her passion for running with listeners of her new weekly running podcast, RunPod, which she launched last year.

She says: “I like to listen to podcasts when I run, so I wanted to do my own. It started very much as a passion project. But it has around three million listeners now and it’s growing all the time.

“It’s quite niche, but more popular than anyone ever thought it would be. I invite people on to talk about their passion for running and how it has changed their lives. I’ve recorded over 100 episodes now and we’ve had some big names on the show, like Seb Coe, Tim Peake, Paula Radcliffe and Tom Kerridge.”

© Ken McKay/Shutterstock

Recording the podcasts was a lifeline for action girl Jenni, who also loves teeing off on the golf course, when she had to take a three-month break from sport during the summer because of a fractured foot. She also launched her own running app in July, Start 2 Run, to coach users to aim for running goals, from 5k to marathon distance. On top of that she joined forces with hubby James to create their own collagen supplement, Kollo.

“I always take supplements, and James suggested creating our own. It was something I just never assumed I could do.

“But we sat down, came up with a plan. Just as we were about to launch, lockdown happened. But we decided just to go for it anyway, which was scary, but something I’m glad now that we did.”

Jenni, who celebrated her 10th wedding anniversary with James with a humble takeaway during lockdown, added: “Lockdown was hard, but I think it brought some positives for me. It’s funny because as we get to December at the end of a tough year, I have realised that this month marks 26 years since it all started.”

Jenni’s TV debut came in 1994, when she set out as a contestant on Blind Date in a bid to find “the one”. And while it didn’t lead to love, it signalled the start of a fairytale life – and a jam-packed CV filled with jobs she would never have dreamed of, from the early days of BBC travel show Holiday to presenting stints on I’m a Celebrity, The National Lottery and regular spots on This Morning and on our airwaves.

“I just can’t believe how much I’ve crammed into 25 years,” said Jenni. “Sometimes it doesn’t feel real.

“I have loved every element of my career, but there are times when I think it’s so unbelievable it’s like I made it up!”

Jenni presents Smooth Breakfast, weekdays from 6am, and Saturday mornings from 10am, on Smooth Radio UK – available on DAB digital radio and TV, on Global Player and SmoothRadio.com.

Jenni’s RunPod and RunPod 5K Challenge podcasts are available on Global Player.