Charlotte Hawkins has opened up on her 'trepidation' surrounding turning 50 - plus her zest for life that still involves a good night out with plenty of tequila shots and cocktails, in an exclusive interview with woman&home.
The beloved British TV host has been helping to wake up the nation on ITV's Good Morning Britain for 11 years - and despite an incredible broadcasting career that has spanned decades, there's more to her than her polished on-screen persona.
Having turned 50 in May of this year, the mother-of-one, who shares ten-year-old Ella Rose with husband Mark Herbert, is still all for an evening out involving a few drinks, with a trip to Ibiza making up part of her birthday celebrations.
Charlotte tells us, "If you go to Ibiza, you’ve got to throw yourself into it, haven’t you? I do like a good night out, drinking cocktails and tequila shots!"
Her milestone day came with some 'trepidation', but those feelings quickly passed, says Charlotte, who is all for embracing the liberating self-assurance that comes with growing older.
"I felt trepidation about turning 50 but it doesn’t matter now. I went to work on my birthday. They decorated my dressing room and made a real fuss. We had cake, we went out for a glass of fizz after the show, Mark took me for a lovely lunch, then we celebrated with Ella Rose in the evening," she adds.
"All my friends from university came around the following night for a dinner party, and we booked an amazing chef, then danced until the early hours.
"Confidence changes with age. When you’re younger, you just throw yourself into stuff with single-minded determination. When you’re older, you’re a bit more realistic, but you have more experience, so you’re better able to handle situations and have a better assessment of what really matters."
Charlotte married Mark back in 2008 and calls him her 'soulmate', putting their strong relationship down to plenty of giggles and good communication.
"When I was younger, I always thought, ‘There’s one person out there who is meant to be with you, who will completely complement who you are,’ and that’s what we are for each other.
"He’s got a great sense of humour, and we have a lot of fun times and a lot of laughter. That’s so important," Charlotte says.
"You know those times when things get too much, or you start niggling at each other? We’ll sit down and work out why. Sometimes it’ll be, ‘Do you know that you do this the whole time?’ or he’s got a thing about how the dishwasher is stacked.
"It’s always worth talking about them and going, ‘I get this isn’t a big deal to you, but these are the things that really wind me up’. Then you learn what’s important."
"He’s got a great sense of humour, and we have a lot of fun times and a lot of laughter. That’s so important," Charlotte says.
"You know those times when things get too much, or you start niggling at each other? We’ll sit down and work out why. Sometimes it’ll be, ‘Do you know that you do this the whole time?’ or he’s got a thing about how the dishwasher is stacked.
"It’s always worth talking about them and going, ‘I get this isn’t a big deal to you, but these are the things that really wind me up’. Then you learn what’s important."
Read Charlotte's full exclusive interview with woman&home in the October issue of the magazine, on shelves from today.
