24 hours with… Coleen Rooney

In this fun and honest Q&A, she shares her go-to wellness rituals, how she stays sane amid the rush and why having lip balm is key.

From solo swims to family Sunday lunches, she’s all about balance - and doing what works.

I’m up at 6am, and straight away brush my teeth and shower. I aim to get ready before the kids who are up at 6.45am. I give myself that time each day.

I'm not a massive breakfast person, so I’ll have an Applied Nutrition protein shake – mixed with water – on the school run. On weekends I do have more – my go-to’s smashed avocado and poached eggs on toast, with chilli flakes.

It’s hectic but manageable if I prep the night before. I make sure all the bags are packed, water bottles are filled in the fridge, uniforms are out ready, shoes are polished, so that we literally get up, eat breakfast, wash, get dressed and go. There's a lot of shouting involved as well!

I usually do the school run and then I’ll go straight to the gym or to a pilates class. Unfortunately today I didn't have time but I did get a little swimming in, so that was good. Wayne took the kids to school so I had a little bit of time when they left, but I do like to get it done in the morning then get on with the rest of my day.

Two gym sessions a week, where I do free weights and interval sprints on the treadmill. That is my cardio and then I try and get two or three Reformer Pilates classes in too. I enjoy the classes because you've got company. I tend to do a cardio class and one or two full body classes. And then I love swimming.

When I finish I tend to have a juice but while I'm exercising I'll make sure that I put a hydration stick in my water – I find that makes it easier for me to drink more as there's a bit of flavour.

I'm not a massive make-up girl. I love getting my make-up done, but I'm not very good at doing my own. So I would say lip balm, I love lip balm, and that was the one thing I really did miss when I was in the jungle.

The most stressful is homework time. I've got four boys who are all at different stages in their education. I’ve got my eldest who’s 15 and I’ve forgotten most of the things that I learnt at that age. Sometimes I can't help him and it's hard work. But getting them all to do their homework is stressful. The least stressful time is when no one else is in the house, which is very rare, or just before I go to bed.

Swimming. If I have a lot on, I do like to get in the pool. I forget about everything and I can’t have my phone there. I also try to take time out now and again: spend time with a friend, Wayne, my mum or on my own, because life is hectic and you do need to look after yourself.

Staggered! Everyone has different activities after school, so it's very rare [to eat together], which is quite upsetting for me because when I was growing up, we all had dinner together: me, my two brothers, my sister as well as my mum and dad. We would all sit down and that's where we would debrief about the day. But my boys have got football most nights so I might get two at a time. I do love it if we have Sunday lunch together.

To get some sort of goodness in there – my boys don't all like the same things. When I was a child, we all had to eat the same dinner, whether we liked it or not. The one thing they all like is broccoli, that's their favourite vegetable. So tonight it's spaghetti bolognese, but they'll have broccoli with it. That way I know they’ve had at least one vegetable. We have random things with broccoli…

I never go to bed at the time I’d like – it's always later – but my aim is to go before 11pm. I like to have one of my Sleep sticks with warm water. Wayne and I were comparing flavours, he likes lemon and honey and I prefer vanilla.

I don't [laughs]. We have a lot of football but Sundays are a bit easier. We try to do something with our family, have a day out or get some lunch, but weekends are just as hectic as the week.

I would definitely choose Collagen. I've always used it, so to create my own and to have total input in the flavour, the packaging…When I came out the jungle, everyone asked how I supported my skin and I put it down to collagen and vitamin C.

Keeping my diet balanced and varied with fresh fruit and veg is key. On top of that, I take supplements to support my health. 

Since a child, I have always had a daily multivitamin. I've been surprised by how many people don't take supplements – this is one of the things that's been a real eye opener for me whilst I have been developing my range.

Doing squats. I do squats in the shower every morning, I never don't do them as it plays on my mind. I do sometimes find myself catching up in the kitchen or in the garden.

Whether it’s planning ahead, staying active or making time to switch off, Coleen shows that looking after yourself is less about having it all figured out and more about doing what works for you.