‘Spin classes are the closest I’m getting to a nightclub these days’: Mollie King on wellbeing and motherhood

Mollie King says spin classes are the “closest (she’s) getting to a nightclub these days” due to her jam-packed schedule as a radio presenter, mother and now podcaster.

The mother-of-two and former The Saturdays singer says physical exercise is an important part of her routine – particularly for her “mental wellbeing”.

“My problem is that where I’m so busy with the radio and the podcast, I struggle to fit (classes) in,” she says.

“I’ve tried to do a couple of spin classes when I can after work, but that’s the closest I’m getting to a nightclub these days.

“You’re having a bit of a dance, you’re on the bike, you’ve got great music just blasting out, and I’m thinking, ‘this is all I need’.”

If London-based King, 38, cannot go to a class, she says she jumps on her Peloton bike at home.

This is often late in the evenings, as she has to “find extra hours in the day” to prioritise her fitness and wellbeing – so while others are getting into their pyjamas, she is “jumping into (her) leggings”.

“Finding that time to exercise and to look after myself has been really difficult, but I’m actually trying to make it a habit, to go, ‘Right, I’ve got to do something here for my own health’,” she says.

“So it’s often nine o’clock at night, I might run downstairs, jump on the bike for 30 minutes, do a spin class, and at least I know then I’ve got my cardio in.

“I am one of those weird people that’s exercising at a time of night when you probably should be winding down, and I’m there jumping into my leggings.

“I just have to fit it in wherever I can.”

Along with fitness, King says fuelling herself with nutritious food is just as important.

Being a “real foodie”, King says food brings her joy and she particularly enjoys Japanese cuisine – but she admits that she is a “terrible cook”.

She says her fiancé, former England cricketer Stuart Broad, does most of the cooking while she does the bedtime routine with their two daughters – Annabella, three, and Liliana, one.

However, she recently whipped up a meal and surprised herself, saying she “felt like (she) was Gordon Ramsay”.

She says: “I cooked a spaghetti Bolognese, and everyone almost fell off their chairs because it was actually edible.

“They were like, ‘This is good, Mollie’, and I said, ‘I know’, because they all love to remind me what a bad cook I am.

“The amount of times I’ve done something like burning toast is ridiculous, but I felt like I was Gordon Ramsay for a minute.

“I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is actually really good’. It had some spices and you could taste the different herbs, so after that, I thought, ‘I’ve got to actually get into this here’.”

King says motherhood has changed her perspective on wellbeing and helped her discover “what (her) real passions are”.

Being a “real people pleaser”, she previously found it difficult to say no, meaning she would often “run (herself) into the ground” – but now, with her two girls as her focus, she has learned to set boundaries.

Speaking about one of the biggest lessons she has learned since becoming a mother, she says: “I think I’ve learned throughout this that I’m stronger than I thought I was before going into it.

“I often doubt things and I’m quite critical of myself, but I’ve actually surprised myself with the girls.

“We’ve had really amazing times together, we’ve had quite difficult times, and I feel like I’m actually stronger as their mum than I was before children.

“I have a whole new respect for my body and the fact that I was able to grow these two little girls in there.

“And now, with the girls, I’m finding it easier to say no to things, just because my girls are my focus, and the most important thing is that I’m there with them.”

King’s newfound strength in motherhood has also pushed her to pursue new career projects, such as podcasting.

She and “best friend” and BBC Radio 1 co-host Matt Edmondson are releasing a brand-new comedy-meets-crime podcast called Novel Idea, narrated by presenter Steffan Powell.

Each week, the pair will take turns writing the next chapter of the same murder mystery with no planning or spoilers, and King says she “cannot wait” for people to hear it.

“I am so incredibly excited. I feel like it’s definitely been one of the most fun things I’ve ever done. Matt and I had just such a laugh putting this together,” she says.

“We’ve produced the whole thing ourselves, we’ve edited it all ourselves, so every single bit of it we have lived and breathed, and I just cannot wait for it to be out.”

Although King has a busy schedule, presenting on the radio four times a week, she says she always makes time to see friends and family, and she no longer feels “guilt” when allowing herself time to switch off.

She has found that focusing on her wellbeing, along with “nurturing and taking care” of friendships and the people around her, have helped her become a “better version” of herself.

“Make sure you are surrounding yourself with the people who fill your cup. Surround yourself with the people who uplift you and support you, and the people who you can also be really honest with,” she says.

“I think that’s so healthy and I think so much of our happiness is based around the people that we surround ourselves by.”

Novel Idea, a Matt & Mollie Production, is available on all major podcast platforms.