Former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq has spoken about her decision to step back from television presenting to focus on motherhood, describing the challenge of juggling parenting with work commitments. Huq, who was the longest-running female host of the iconic children's show from 1997 to 2008, recalled a particularly difficult experience while filming the Sky reality show King of the Nerds in 2015.
Huq said she would be picked up from her house at 5:30am, having expressed milk for her baby, and travel to Chelmsford for filming. She would then find herself 'exploding with milk' during the day, desperate to wrap on time to avoid rush hour and return to her child. 'I remember I'd had a baby. And I thought I could do this all,' she said. 'But the time goes so fast... these years, they don't come back.'
Huq, who has two children, said she consciously took a step back after King of the Nerds because she felt she was 'doing everything badly'. She has since only done occasional work, such as guest presenting The One Show, but has not taken on a major TV role. 'It's not going away, there's loads of time left,' she said, adding that the freelance nature of the media industry meant she did not feel pressure to stay on the 'ladder'.
The presenter has now turned her hand to children's literature, writing a book called Cookie Haque about a young girl with Bangladeshi parents who loves science and learning. Huq said she was inspired to write the book after noticing a recurring theme during her time on Blue Peter: children wanting to be famous without knowing what for, contrasting with her parents' generation who revered careers in maths and science.
Huq also reflected on how the television industry has changed since her Blue Peter days, admitting she no longer watches real-time TV and prefers box sets or documentaries. She said she has never been a big reality TV watcher, and that as she gets older, her time feels more valuable, especially after having children.
