As she gears up for a festive season filled with joy and laughter with her adorable son Reggie, Josie Gibson is feeling incredibly grateful for the life she’s built. The beloved This Morning presenter, who’s about to turn 40, has just moved into a stunning new home and has two fresh TV shows in the pipeline.
However, her journey to where she is now hasn’t always been a walk in the park. “I’ve really, really struggled with my confidence,” Josie, who first entered the public eye after her Big Brother win in 2010, admits in an exclusive chat with The Mirror. “I think everybody does… but worrying doesn’t do anything for anybody.”
Her perspective shifted when she welcomed her son in 2018, causing her to reassess what truly mattered. Now, she refuses to let fear occupy her thoughts, instead pouring her energy into her loved ones and trusting in destiny.
“Reg is my biggest distraction,” Josie shares. “And people… your connections and relationships are so important. They’re the things that are going to stay with you for ever. What is meant to be on your path, will be on your path. You could spend all day worrying, but you’re not going to get anywhere.”
But don’t mistake Josie’s emphasis on relationships as a sign she’s seeking romance. Despite sparking headlines earlier this year when she quipped she was “in love” with her good friend Stephen Mulhern, Josie is currently enjoying the single life. “It wouldn’t be fair on them,” she comments on potential partners.
“My time is split between my career and my son, where would anyone fit in?” As her milestone 40th birthday looms in January, Josie’s taking a moment to reflect on everything she’s achieved.
“I feel like I know myself. If anything happened to me tomorrow… well, I’ve had a really good time. I’ve really enjoyed life. It’s been stressful at times – don’t get me wrong – but I’ve had a blast. I’m so lucky. When you reach a milestone birthday, it’s weird how your mind starts changing. As long as everybody’s happy and healthy, then we’re totally winning, aren’t we?”
(Image: WireImage)
Josie is looking forward to the festive season, especially since her son Reggie is now six years old. She wants to make Christmas as magical as possible for him. “I love seeing Reg’s face when he comes down on Christmas morning. You know when they go, ‘He’s been! ’ That is everything for me. That’s why I do everything, to celebrate that moment.”
Father Christmas is a big part of their celebrations, and Josie loves dressing Reggie up in a suit for his visit to Santa. “I’m all about the magic, and keeping the magic alive. Reg is the best version of himself the whole way through December because Father Christmas calls us and his elves call us and I always make him go and see Father Christmas in a suit,” she explains.
This year, Josie, who hails from Bristol, will be hosting her family for Christmas. She’s even considering swapping the traditional Christmas turkey for a Turducken – a duck inside a chicken inside a turkey.
“I’m going to be spending Christmas at home, having a Josie is planning a relaxed Christmas this year, with an open house policy. “I’m going to do loads of food so everybody can just pop in when they want to, help themselves to food, stay as long as they want, play some party games,” she shares. Despite not being a master chef, Josie has a secret cooking tip up her sleeve. “I sprinkle a beef Oxo cube on the potatoes and then I roast them. They come out amazingly – and I snack on them all day.
“I do normally go for a turkey, but this year I might get a bird in a bird in a bird.” While pigs in blankets are off the menu, Josie plans to use a Michelin-trained chef’s recipe for sprouts with chestnuts. “I’m going to copy Poppy O’Toole’s recipe,” she reveals. “But we’re not big pork fans in our house.”
The one part of Christmas that Josie isn’t a fan of? “The part where you go, ‘Oh, I forgot so and so!’” she admits. “That is always a nightmare!”
However, thanks to her new Channel 4 show, Ultimate Christmas Gift Guide With Josie Gibson, Josie feels ahead of the game with her Christmas shopping. “It is very festive,” says Josie.
“If you want some inspiration on gifts for him, her, grandma, granddad, teenagers, primary school kids, toddlers, pets or even for Secret Santa, we’ve got it. There is nothing that we have not covered on this show, nothing. We try to find something for everybody,” she says, and it’s clear that she’s loving every minute of it.
She’s even managed to combine work with Christmas shopping – but the best part? The laughs she’s had along the way, especially when children tested the toys. “Oh, my God, it’s been so funny,” she gushes.
“We sent loads of toys to a school for the kids to review, so you’re getting it straight from the horse’s mouth – it’s like that show called Kids Say The Funniest Things – and then we have our brilliant celebrities.”
And it’s not just the kids who are making her laugh. Showbiz guests like Made In Chelsea‘s Ollie Locke, comedian Jenny Eclair and Australian The Office star Felicity Ward have had Josie in stitches.
“Jenny Eclair did gifts for grandparents and we had a cracker guide. Felicity Ward is very special, she’s hilarious – I’ve been crying. I’m always saying, ‘If you have a laugh watching it, then we’ve won.’ That for me, is everything. If we lift somebody’s mood or make someone laugh, then I’m happy.”
Josie is also excited about her new solo projects, including her Christmas show which will air on Channel 4. “I’m on ITV, but Channel 4 is where I was born,” she jokes. But she’s not limited to just those two channels – she’s also got a deal with Channel 5!
“I’ve been filming The First Class Travel Show and I’m really proud of it,” she reveals. “I’ve been busy with six different projects, but I’m really looking forward to returning to This Morning,” she shared. “I can’t wait to get back home.”
But it’s not all work and no play for Josie. She’s planning a January getaway to a destination loved by Zara Tindall to celebrate her milestone birthday. “I’m going to book a skiing holiday to Val d’Isere! It’s posh there, isn’t it?
“When I was younger, it was so far from what we thought of as a holiday… now I think it’s like heaven when you’re up there in the mountains. The beauty of it is unreal. I love a cold holiday!”
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