Keeping it clean with Jenni Falconer!

Renowned radio & TV presenter Jenni Falconer talks exclusively to Angela Sara West about prime properties, fantasy homes by sea, her own home renovation fun and losing it with Leo on the red carpet!

Will Smith, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, James McAvoy… she’s interviewed some of Hollywood’s biggest heavyweights during her sparkling career.

“I have been lucky to interview some incredible TV, music and movie stars over the years…” Jenni tells me. “Tom Cruise has always been amazing. I’ve hosted a lot of his UK premières, along with the world première of Mission Impossible 5 in Vienna.”

But even a seasoned red-carpet pro can get starstruck sometimes. “Bond is always another huge première, and interviewing Daniel Craig for that was always exciting. Some of these big stars can leave you a little starstruck, of course, but essentially, they’re just doing their job and you’re doing yours, so remembering that sometimes helps you not to get too flustered.”

“Although I did get completely lost for words the first time I met Leonardo DiCaprio,” she admits. “He was just staring directly at me… I got lost in his gaze and completely forgot the question. He answered, regardless… Who knows what he was saying, it was all a blur!”

GOING BACK TO HER TV ROOTS…

Glasgow-born Jenni first burst onto our TV screens back in 1994, looking for love as a contestant on Blind Date. Her bubbly personality, great looks and ease in front of the camera caught the eye of BBC Scotland, who invited the then university student to try her hand at presenting, seeing her launch her glittering TV vocation.

Having presented BBC Scotland’s Big Country, ITV’s documentary series 3D and consumer show We Can Work It Out alongside Judy Finnigan and Jane Harvey, she went on to host the BBC travel show Holiday and ITV’s How to Holiday.

Jenni’s big break beckoned in 2000, when she was asked to co-host GMTV’s new entertainment segment Entertainment Today alongside Ben Shephard. She’s since presented a wide range of programmes, including several series of Channel 5’s Fantasy Homes by the Sea, been the face of the BBC’s National Lottery Big Draw and gone Down Under for ITV, reporting on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!

Transforming into Ring Master of the Big Top, Jenni hosted Sky One’s live entertainment TV show Cirque de Celebrité, while the sporty celeb’s competitive streak saw her win BBC One’s show-jumping reality series Only Fools on Horses for Sport Relief. She’s also showcased her diving skills alongside Tom Daley, featuring on the first series of ITV’s celebrity diving show Splash!

AN ARCHITECT AT HEART– DESIGNS ON THE SHARD

“I wanted to study architecture when I was younger,” Jenni reveals. “At the time though, it was discouraged because there weren’t many jobs going around in that field. I would have loved to design offices and commercial properties, or some of the more striking buildings in London. I dreamt of designing something like the Shard…”

“Also, coming from Glasgow, I’ve always loved the tradition of the tenements,” the Glaswegian go-getter tells me. “My Gran lived in a tenement, and I was obsessed with it when we visited her and would walk up the close to get to her flat.”

“I have always been in love with Glasgow’s gorgeous sandstone mansions, too. You will see quite a few in the West End and just outside Glasgow, in Bearsden. They are just gorgeous, although many have been converted into flats now.”

“On the west coast there are also some beautiful detached villas with views out to sea…” she continues. “A boyfriend of mine when I was younger grew up in Skelmorlie and his family home was stunning. A gorgeous villa from the 1800s with the most beautiful views out to Rothesay and Arran.”

JETSET JENNI – A ‘HOLIDAY’ TRAVEL FAN

Suffice to say, the itchy-footed TV star has surveyed a fair few properties in her time, taking us with her on her globe-trotting adventures as she perused and shared them on our screens.

“I really love travelling,” says Jenni. “I worked on Holiday and then co-hosted How to Holiday – both brilliant travel shows giving me the chance to see the world, albeit for very short periods of time.”

“I remember waking up in Hong Kong once and not having a clue where I was nor what time it was! I was constantly on a plane; long-haul flights were a weekly occurrence, and I would always be back in London for Friday Morning Live on GMTV before jetting off again.”

Sounds amazing, although there was a downside to these endless expeditions. “The experience was incredible, the opportunity to travel was fantastic, the crew were brilliant, and my air miles impressive! However, I was permanently jet lagged…”

FROM THE UK TO ITALY, FANTASY HOMES BY THE SEA

“When I worked on Fantasy Homes by the Sea we travelled around the UK and Europe, and since we were constantly in coastal locations, I would always start my day with a run along a promenade or coastal path, wherever we were filming.”

Her fave places for admiring architecture and property styles? “We got the chance to see some stunning properties… A
few really were spectacular and had SO much potential. My favourites were in Italy. Puglia was stunning and had some real undiscovered gems,” she divulges. “I remember one house in the old historic town of Gallipoli which was full of character and so close to the beach. It needed a bit of work, but it was

selling a great price. I was back there this summer and went back to see the house. I remembered it so well…”

She’s been blown away by builds back here in Blighty, too. “We also saw some beauties in the UK. I fell in love with one house in Fowey, which had the most wonderful view of the harbour!”

“I also love beautiful Georgian manor houses – much like where I got married, Babington House in Somerset. It’s just a dream property… It’s now a hotel and has been maintained beautifully.”

A SMOOTH OPERATOR

Previously presenting the Heart Early Breakfast weekdays and Sunday Breakfast shows on Heart FM, Jenni now gently eases us into every weekday on Smooth Breakfast, and mid-mornings on Saturday, too, grilling big-names guests on her radio show, having joined the all-star Smooth Radio presenter line-up, including Kate Garraway, Kirsty Gallacher, Myleene Klass and Margherita Taylor, at Heart’s Smooth sister station at the beginning of 2020.

While with her love of visiting exotic locations, keen traveller Jenni also appears on This Morning as a regular travel reporter, having previously co-presented the show during Holly Willoughby’s maternity leave.

HOT PROPERTY HISTORY

Alongside being hot property on our screens, the cheerful presenter boasts a fascinating property history herself…

She first started renting when she was 19. “I was working in Scotland and rented the granny flat of a huge house in Glasgow’s West End. It was incredible. At the same time, I was renting a room in a house with friends in Headingley, Leeds, where I was studying Spanish and Italian at the university.”

The following year, she started renting her own flat in Glasgow, before moving back to Leeds a couple of years later. “No longer as a student but working for ITV out of Yorkshire TV, and so I found a flat in Horsforth,” the popular presenter explains. “However, when I rented it, they hadn’t explained that it was actually a retirement residence! So, there was I, 21, living with an older set of neighbours. They were all absolutely lovely though, and always looked out for me.”

LONDON LIFE & BERKSHIRE BECKONS

“After that, I moved south to work in London and lived in a flat in Berkshire,” she continues. “I’d gone to school in Reading and so knew the area and thought I’d live there until I found a place in town.”

A year later, I bought my first flat in South West London. I was 24. It was amazing finally having my own place. I lived there for six years and then bought a house with my now husband and we are still there!”

Jenni shares her SW London home with her actor husband James Midgley, 12-year-old daughter Ella and their pet pooch Millie. “We have toyed with moving a few times, but it’s the perfect location and we have so many friends in the area.” What’s more. Ella’s school is just a short walk away.

SW LONDON LIFE

Jenni and James bought their stunning semi-detached house in 2007. “We almost moved a few years ago as we were keen to have a bit more space in the main reception rooms.
I always wanted a bigger, sociable kitchen and we found a dream property, but not in a dream location,” she enlightens.

“I’ve now been a SW London girl for over 20 years. I love the area… the fact that you are close to the commons, the river, it’s easy for my work in central London, and also equally easy to get out of town, too! There are great shops, restaurants and bars, and I also love the community.”

LETTING LIGHT INTO THE LIVING ROOM

Rather than make the move, the couple instead decided to add to their own house and reconfigure the layout and, in 2018, Jenni gave the family home she’d been living in for a decade a facelift, finally creating her very own luxury ‘Fantasy Home’.

“We made one bedroom a little smaller and made it en- suite. We also changed one room into more of a dressing room. We adapted all the bathrooms into something more contemporary, but the biggest job was changing the kitchen…” she reveals.

“The kitchen became the office, the lounge became the kitchen, and we extended the house so that we could have a bright, light living room, which has beautiful crittal windows and a huge skylight. It’s brightened the house, given it a more spacious feel, and we no longer felt the need to move!”

RENOVATION, RENOVATION, RENOVATION…

With her flair for interior design, arty Jenni was hands-on with the process, totally transforming her abode over the course of six months from a “building site” into a stylish living space with floor-to-ceiling windows, complete with a bespoke kitchen with state-of-the-art appliances, a bathroom boasting beautiful wooden panelling and free-standing bath, and a luxurious living area complete with a cosy log fire and balcony overlooking the garden.

To make the most of her outside space, green-fingered Jenni turned her al fresco area and its Japanese garden fishpond with exotic plants – which was no longer practical with a toddler running around now, too – into a lush green area with a wood patio and immaculate grass, along with shrubs and topiary tree borders.

LOCKDOWN LIFE ON THE AIRWAVES OF WANDSWORTH

Fitness fan Jenni worked up a sweat with workouts aplenty in her garden during lockdown. “Lockdown was definitely a strange time… My daughter was at home instead of being at school, my husband was working from the kitchen, and I even hosted my radio show from the sofa for a few weeks!” she says.

“It was a difficult time with a lot of uncertainty, but to reflect on positives at that time, I loved spending so much time with my family. I never see my daughter in the morning, nor do
I her to take her to school as I’m on air at Smooth 6-10am every weekday. However, in lockdown she could see me, as I worked from home for a few weeks. Likewise, my dog was in heaven as he got breakfast at 5.30 every morning and could lie by my side whilst I worked… He did bark once when I was live on air though!”

THE DREAM FANTASY HOME?

So, is this idyllic abode now Jenni’s forever ‘Fantasy Home’? “Having said that, it’s still not my dream fantasy home…” she discloses.

“I would LOVE to one day move to a house where I have a more rural view out of the window. Currently, it’s very urban. I’d also love not to hear trains and cars and to be able see the stars at night. Living in the city there is constant noise and too much light to see the sky clearly.”

So, is a move now back on the cards? “It’ll happen one day,” she divulges. “Currently, I am up for work at 4am and it takes 20 minutes to get to work. The thought of adding to that commute time just isn’t appealing. I did it for 18 months when I lived in Berkshire and commuted in for GMTV. I have had 23 years of early starts and making them earlier than they need to be is something I will willingly miss!”

Another dream is to upgrade from a semi-detached to a detached house. “Mainly so I don’t hear the neighbour’s kids playing piano through the wall at 7am on a Sunday!” An untimely performance which proves all a bit too much for the music fan.

“For me, it’s just space, a bigger garden, more privacy, and better storage. But then, I’m happy where I am with fantastic friends around the corner and some lovely neighbours, an easy walk to Ella’s school, everything we need within reach. What’s more, I can run my commute.”

KEEP ON RUNNING…

If you weren’t already aware, Jenni is BIG on running. “I am REALLY into my exercise,” she smiles. “I particularly love running and can often be seen running around the place! Eamonn Holmes drove past me a few times on his way to This Morning and said he recognised that ‘running style’!!”

A SMOOTH FITNESS FANATIC

Fresh air aficionado Jenni is a huge advocate of the benefits of running in green spaces and the great outdoors. “I think running is a great tool to stay fit physically, but it also has huge mental health benefits. For me, it’s my meditation, it de-stresses me, can be done alone, can fit into your day when you have time… and it’s free!”

When not out running, she can often be seen practising her swing on the green. The Golf Sixes Pro-Am tournament a few years ago saw Jenni compete against other famous faces on the fairway, including Brian McFadden, Chris Hughes and Vernon Kay. “I play a lot of golf. There are plenty of courses along the A3, so it’s easy enough to head there after work.”

RUNPOD PODCASTS

The dedicated runner launched her popular podcast, RunPod, several years ago, for which she chats with renowned names from the world of sport and entertainment, including Paula Radcliffe, Ben Shephard, Dame Kelly Holmes, Jake Quickenden, Katie Piper and former England rugby captain Mike Tindall, who also all love running for pleasure.

“I’m very proud of RunPod – my podcast all about the feelgood of running,” she explains. “I’ve had some amazing guests – from Sadiq Khan, long-distance runner Eliud Kipchogi, John Terry and Amanda Holden, to Mo Farrah, Paula Radcliffe, Kelly Holmes, Eddie Izzard and Lorraine Kelly, along with Peter Andre, Liz Earle, James Cracknell, former SAS star Jay Morton and Tim Peake… every single person has a unique story to tell, and their reasons to run all vary…”

MARATHON GIRL – KEEP ON RUNNING!

“I love chatting all things running, and listening to people talk about what motivates them to run is the best way to keep going yourself,” says the inspirational presenter.
“So, RunPod has proven to be very popular to listen to whilst you’re out there pounding the pavement!”

“In fact, I know many runners saved them to listen to back-to- back whilst running the virtual London Marathon.”

An avid participant of the annual event, the Smooth Breakfast presenter has raised funds running The Marathon for The Children’s Trust, Breast Cancer and CLIC Sargent Cancer Research UK charities in the past.

“I’m very passionate about health and wellbeing, and so loved the fact that so many people took up running during lockdown. It was the go-to exercise!”

COLLAGEN-LOVING CELEBS

Jennifer Aniston swears by them, and Kate Hudson can’t get enough of them… Kourtney Kardashian starts every day off with a dose and Dawson’s Creek star Busy Phillips has been known to jazz up her morning coffee with them… Celebs, it seems, just love consuming collagen to keep their skin looking young and fresh.

With her passion for pounding the streets, coupled with those gruelling early wake-up calls her career now entails, dedicated jogger Jenni is conscious of the toll it all takes on her body and how it can also cause havoc with her skin.

She’s among the countless stars savouring a skinful of collagen supplements as a natural way to not only look younger, but to also maintain a healthy body. “I’ve been a keen runner since my 20s, and collagen supplements were recommended to me by a TV doctor colleague when I started doing marathons in 2009,” she reveals. “I’ve taken collagen in supplement form ever since. It’s brilliant to aid recovery after exercise, but also really promotes healthy bones, joints and cartilage.”

KOLLO CALLING

She tried various collagen brands. “And my husband proposed I create my own!” And so, Kollo Health was born. “It came about because I love my health and wellbeing – I wanted to create a health brand with the ultimate collagen supplement,” she explains. “We spent a year working on our formula, with a great deal of that time perfecting the taste.”

Following extensive research, Jenni co-founded the revolutionary collagen supplement brand to offer an innovative product to help not only herself, but also others to keep on top of their health. “Kollo Health is an exciting brand that I’m proud to be a part of. In more recent years, I’ve had a lot of lovely comments from makeup artists and hairdressers about my skin and hair and soon realised collagen has a lot of benefits.”

And the feedback from Kollo Health consumers has been phenomenal. “We have a lot of fans of the brand – both male and female – and quite a few famous faces, too! It’s an amazing product that has incredible benefits, and people soon realise that.”

Likened to ‘liquid gold’, the sustainable brand delivers in easy-to-use sachets. “It’s going from strength-to-strength,” says the fresh-faced face of the brand. “From day one we have been SO proud of our brand and continue to be so now, three-and-a-half years since launching. We have grown, we have learnt what our customers want from us, and 2024 is going to be a very exciting year!”

R&R: HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS…

With her wonderful SW London home the perfect place for Jenni to unwind, how does this busy TV and radio presenter and health-and-fitness guru like to chill? “For me, relaxing at home is exactly that; feet up, watching movies with my daughter and husband, Millie the dog curled up next to us, and that’s perfect, especially on a rainy autumn or winter’s day!”

A SUSTAINABLE HOME?

Jenni is now considering implementing a few sustainable aspects to her home.

“We have been looking to get solar panels, but it’s just not been as straightforward as we had hoped, and we have to make sure the investment is worth it.”

ADDING THE WOW FACTOR

Her advice for adding the ‘wow factor’ and value to our homes on a tight budget? “I think it is possible – you just have to be strict with your budget and keep things simple.”

“We are currently trying to declutter – I think that can help with the wow factor. There is nothing worse than ‘stuff’ everywhere, which is why we are having a clear out. We’ve been working through our house room-by-room, clearing out a lot of things we no longer need.”

KEEPING IT CLEAN

Her other top tips for a top home? “We’ve added crittal windows in some parts, as well as shutters in other areas to give a cleaner, brighter look. We’ve also
moved well away from grey everywhere, which was a trend a few years back and, thankfully, we have now added a bit more colour. A simple paint job can change the entire feel and look of a room.”

“For our room, we want to redo the flooring, repaint the walls, perhaps take a bit of wall out to open the space up but really, that’s not too hard – it’s more about
the time it takes, which is off-putting. Everyone has their own style but there are certainly ways of achieving a great look without breaking the bank. I think the secret is simplicity – keep it clean, allow lots of light in the room and avoid clutter.”

STILL TO COME…

Next up on Jenni’s running order? “I’ll still be working on Smooth six days a week and waking London up every weekday morning – I love that! And I’ll be doing more running events.”

“I am really happy with what I have on my plate right now. I am lucky to work on air on one of the biggest commercial stations in the UK, hosting the breakfast show Monday to Friday and then mid-mornings on a Saturday. My RunPod podcast has seen me release at least one episode weekly for four-and-a-half years and I now host a golf podcast, too!”

With details under wraps, she reveals she has a big new project for next year. “I will tell you about it in 2024, and, of course, we have many exciting things happening at Kollo Health HQ, too!”

Sounds like she’s on a home run. “I love what I do,” Jenni concludes. “I am proud to combine my presenting work along with running a health supplement brand and, in amongst it all, I want to run another marathon and, if I can, get my golf handicap to 10!”

Jenni presents Smooth Breakfast every weekday
6am to 10am, plus a mid-morning show on Saturdays from 10am to 1pm.

Smooth Radio is available across the UK on 97-108 FM, DAB digital radio and TV, at SmoothRadio.com and on the Smooth and Global Player apps.

Clinically proven to promote and maintain the function of healthy joints and bones and support healthier skin, hair and nails, Kollo Health collagen is available from www.KolloHealth.com.

Jenni is an Ambassador for The Prince’s Trust: www.princes-trust.org.uk. © Angela Sara West 2023 @angela_sara_west