‘I’ve stopped being so hard on myself’

Radio presenter Siân Welby opens up about the motherhood juggle and missing out on Strictly

- JULIET CONWAY

She has one of the most recognisable voices on UK radio, waking up millions every morning on Capital Breakfast.

But when Sian Welby sits down with OK!, the presenter is refreshingly honest about the daily juggle behind her cheery 6am persona.

“I do a very mad job,” she laughs.

Sian, 39, and her fiancé, radio producer Jake Beckett, 33, welcomed their first child - daughter Ruby - in June 2024 and the toddler has transformed Sian’s world into one of pickups, drop-offs and bath-time routines.

“Working in this industry requires you to be spontaneous, because jobs come in last-minute, interviews change, timings change. So I’m trying to balance a lot of plates,” explains Sian, who is also a presenter on ITV’s This Morning.

“You’re constantly trying to have some form of schedule. It’s really hard. Hats off to any single parent. I don’t know how they do it, because if it wasn’t for my other half and his family helping us, it would be borderline impossible.”

When Ruby was born, Jake - who met Sian while he was working at Heart Radio - took the lion’s share of the leave so Sian could return to work.

“I took three months off and then he took the rest of my time off, which dads can do. Not many people know that you can split maternity leave,” she says. “He took a year off, basically, to look after Ruby, and I kept my jobs down to a minimum so I could also have that time with her. We just shared it, and it’s been a real team effort.”

Like many working parents, she sometimes feels guilty about not spending enough time with her daughter.

“I think every mum does [feel guilty] - and every dad, probably, as well,” she says. “But I’ve stopped being so hard on myself, because I think if you’re getting any sort of guilt, it’s because you are a good parent. You’re worrying because you care.