Motherhood
As a mother, I’d describe myself as very
relaxed. But I think I can be like that, as I laid
the boundaries when the kids were young – they were very clear about what they
could and couldn’t do, and the importance of being polite. But within the
boundaries, there has always been a lot of love and laughter.
The two of them are so different. Cameron is very funny. He wants to be a comedian, and is very
engaging and tries to make you laugh. Even walking into the room he’ll do it in
a funny way
Carol Vorderman and her daughter Katie
King
Katie is much more academic and is
studying physics at Cambridge. I think it’s quite
hard for her generation. She’s obviously going to be a carrer woman and we have
discussions about when it’s right to have children and that sort of thing. It’s
so difficult for them to know if they should have their kids young and go back
to their carrer – but will it be there for them? – or whether to wait until
later, which has its own difficulties. I think there’s a tremendous pressure on
woman rising up the carrer ladder now, in a way there wasn’t in the past.
I’m careful not to overindulge the
children. Yes, I can provide well for them but I
don’t give to them endlessly – money or gifts or whatever. I don’t think that’s
helpful. It’s my belief that happiness comes from appreciating things and
working for things.
I have never lived on my own and
wouldn’t want to. I must say, I’m not looking
forward to the empty nest the day Cameron moves out. Luckily, they do tend to
stay with you a bit longer these days, don’t they? I’m happy by myself for a
day and can just about stretch to 36 hours but no more.
Working Life
Carol Vorderman showed off her
enviable curves
I’ve always had a strong work ethic,
though the reasons why I work have changed. In my
twenties I had to work, we had no money. My mum left my stepfather and was
living in digs in Windsor, and I was living in digs, so we bought this house
together in Leeds. I had to work because I had to pay the mortgage.
Now, working hard is just part of me and
who I am, though I’m not doing the crazy hours as I used to. Since I turned 50, I’ve had the best year of my life and I now
throw as much effort into the social side of my life as I do work – more so now
than ever before. I’m not talking about wild parties, but about spending time
with friends. In the past I used to just work, and now I think I’ve found a
balance.
When I got booted off Countdown, I
didn’t like not working. I had a couple of years
when I was sitting in my office – I set up The Maths Factor business and was
working on books, but I didn’t have the telly thing going on. I was so lucky to
have been at Countdown with Richard Whiteley for so many brilliant
years, and I really missed the buzz of it.
I’m so thrilled that Loose Woman
is working because it’s the only show that I have loved in that same way that I
loved Countdown with Richard. I feel
completely alive when I’m doing it. The format of the show allows you to get
excited and be yourself, and I feel so grateful to have the opportunity to do
it.
The name of the show is ironic, so I had
no concerns about that. My only qualms before I
joined were the fact that I hadn’t done a show like it before. But I’d met
Denise Welch and Sally Lindsay before and knew I’d get on with them.
We don’t all have the same opinions, but
we all get on. We all say a topic is boring and
bland if we all have the same opinion. It’s good when we feel strongly about
things and then we can have a right old ding-dong. But it’s never personal – we
come away from the table and it’s fine.
Loose Woman is really like a second family – and that is what I missed terribly
after Countdown. I’d be very disappointed if
I wasn’t on it for some time – at least a few years. We have such a laugh with
the crew – a lot of northerners work on it, people who used to work at Granada
and Yorkshire TV who are now in London, so there’s that same sense that I felt
for 26 years at Countdown in Leeds, which is lovely.
I still love learning new things, and
that’s why I have so enjoyed working with the Government over the past couple
of years. It was very flattering to be asked to
lead the maths task force, and I’m so pleased our report has been formally
welcomed. We took a new look at the maths education system in the UK and a lot
of our recommendations are now being seriously considered.
It’s so important to get this right and
it’s likely that our key recommendations will come to pass: compulsory maths to the age of 18 in some form or another and the
introduction of two different maths GCSEs to meet the needs of different children.
I’m still actively involved with it all and am looking forward to seeing it
through.
Downtime
Carol Vorderman - Arse Compilation -
Loose Women Jan/Feb 2012
My favourite way to relax? That’s easy: I will always watch Coronation Street. I don’t
watch much telly but I watch the news and Coronation Street, and love
it.
I also get enormous pleasure from where
I live. Every day I get a sense of unbounded joy
when I walk out of my house and see the Clifton Suspension Bridge with all the
lights on – it’ll be slightly drizzly but I just think “oh man, that is
amazing”.
“I’m so thrilled that Loose Women is
working because it’s the only show I’ve loved in the way that I loved
Countdown with Richard”
