'MY DOGS ARE A JOY – THEY ARE JUST MAGIC'

Big Brother star Kate Lawler talks about settling down after the show, how her life changed when she became a dog parent and finding motherhood difficult

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Incredibly, it's been more than two decades since Kate Lawler made history as the first woman to win Big Brother. But the 44-year-old still has the same cheeky, playful demeanour that won over viewers as we sit down for an exclusive interview.

Now a doting mum to five-year-old daughter Noa and two dogs, who she shares with husband Martin Bojtos, Kate tells us she has mellowed since her antics in the famous house.

"When I was in my twenties I partied hard. But then, in my thirties, I became a dog parent. I started to settle down and do more wholesome things at the weekend,' she explains. "I reduced my alcohol intake and went to the gym a lot more."

Kate says she's glad there is little evidence of her wild days on Big Brother back in 2002, including in-house romances and breaking tables with Alison Hammond.

"I could not be happier that I did that show before social media," she laughs. "I think I would have been cancelled!"

One thing Kate does use social media for is to speak candidly to her fans, including sharing the highs and lows of motherhood with Noa - a journey which hasn't been easy following a battle with postnatal depression.

"When I first had Noa, I felt like nobody was really being honest on social media about how the first year of parenting is, how it's possible that you can love your child with every fibre of your being, but also find it really mundane and hard. It's life-changing."

Admitting it took a toll on her relationship with Martin, who she met in 2013 and married in 2022, Kate says, "I feel like nobody talks about how tough [becoming parents] is on your relationship. So I'm like, 'Hey, just so you know, if your relationship is in a bad place after having a child, it's completely normal.' There are tools out there to help you. If it wasn't for our therapist, Diana, I don't know where we'd be."