For the last four years since Bobby and Freddy lost their mum, the boys and I have released balloons as a mark of respect, a loving gesture and for the lads especially, a positive way to acknowledge their loss in a way that can be considered by all as a...

There are very few landmarks in parenthood that stick out as much as your child's first date, well last week I was to play chaperone at Bobby and Freddy's very first double date!
Nicola very kindly purchased five tickets so I could take the kids to the O2 to...

Nicola and I have had conversations lately about how we go about keeping the love alive. Not a general love, but specifically the excitement, the affection, the desire to do those little things that come so natural to us all, well... in the first six months at least.

With the...

Frankie Beverly and Maze once sang, ''joy and pain, are like sunshine...and rain." Very few occasions leave you feeling such a disarming mixture of content satisfaction, happiness and pride yet somewhere amongst the jubilation sits a pang of grief and guilt that is struggling to filter through. Maybe as the...

I've just got back from a rather fortunate week of employment in the Maldives filming a competition for This Morning which a few of you might like to enter when it's shown throughout January, but only if complete relaxation and amazing food in paradise is your kind of thing?!

As parents we spend every waking hour protecting, teaching and caring for our children, cleaning up after them and preparing ahead of them. It's a job that you can't do half-heartedly. It has a way of bringing you down a peg literally moments after it has you peeling yourself off...

I'm really lovely, get me out of here...

The success of a reality TV show relies purely on the strength and depth of characters and chemistry between those participating. This year's jungle was a first in that MOST were grounded, normal, friendly and likeable if not collectively a little...

It's true of life that when faced with a long journey to achieve the goals and ambitions we set for ourselves, it's helpful for us to understand that to reach the target, we have to take one step at a time to progress towards our dreams.

In the case of...

1. The Importance of being charitable...

'Celebrity fundraising'. No, it's not an idea for a new TV show, it's something we should embrace as a responsibility to society - or should we? I became aware of a charity called Norwood whilst at Richard Desmond's (the owner of the Express Group...

Last week, I wrote openly about my despair at the behaviour of my children during the first 2 weeks of the new school term. I was shocked and unsettled by the news from teachers that not just Freddy was being 'disruptive' but, uncharacteristically, Bobby too.

My thoughts spiraled and...

I've noticed a trend of late; I write about a problem I am experiencing at home and a week or two later it no longer exists. Things move on so quickly indoors that you don't actually realise the issues creeping up on you, but then you don't then see them...

It's often the case that people in the public eye only say the things they want to share in a magazine - although sometimes the things they wouldn't are printed without them having the choice.

This time I'm going to show a chink in our family armour by sharing because...

Today I want to talk about the difficulties many parents face in balancing their children's best interests with achieving their own happiness. Quite a serious topic but one that I think has affected many parents to some extent when trying to raise their kids and remain in a happy relationship...

Why do we travel to the corners of the earth to great expense to find relaxation for ourselves and entertainment for our children? Somewhere in the last few decades the stacation was substituted for the prestige and glamour of the trip abroad, and the recent flurry of low cost airlines...

For some time the boys had talked about the summer holidays with some excitement, mainly because they were so looking forward to going to see their nanny who now lives in Tenerife.

Well I had agreed to this trip on the understanding that I would accompany the kids out...

To celebrate reaching 300,000 followers on Twitter recently I proposed to set a competition entitling the winner to a terrible fate, to put their lives into my hands by allowing me to visit their home and cook them and their friends a meal. Trust was the key issue here but...

1. What's in a kiss?

Sometimes in a relationship words can fail you, emotions can cloud your judgement and you can feel like you're heading for a night's sleep spent with your backs turned to each other almost falling off the edge of the bed. We don't all specialise in...

Are you ready for all hell to break loose? Good, me neither...

Summer holidays are fast approaching for all parents but depending on your point of view for some of us the nightmare or joy has all ready begun. I personally feel I'm down the middle on this one, alright,...

1) Time to myself? No way!

As my very wise and wonderful girlfriend said this week "life is all about maintaining the correct balance between the things that matter most in life."

Well something that matters a lot to me sadly had to be squeezed out of my life when...

I have always prided myself on being a tough parent with strong values and beliefs. As far as I was concerned everything was under control. I've never once felt like the task of bringing up two boys on my own was beyond me, why should I? I've been completely hands...