Countdown star Rachel Riley may seem to lead a glamorous life with dancer husband Pasha Kovalev, but during the summer holidays, it's not all glitz and glamour. Like millions of working parents, the maths expert is juggling motherhood with a hectic schedule, and with Pasha, 46, about to go on tour, the pressure is set to increase.
Balancing Work and Family
Rachel, 40, who met Pasha on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013 and married him six years later, is mum to daughters Maven, six, and Noa, four. Speaking about the summer holidays, she said: "Oh, there's always a new challenge. Pasha's about to go on tour, so he's about to disappear. We're constantly lining up the diaries and seeing what works."
On managing it all, she added: "I think the secret is not to worry about being perfect. They don't need both [parents] around all the time, either. I always think there's more pressure on the mums than the dads to be there. Things are obviously different in different households, but if your kids are happy, then it doesn't really matter."
Family Time and Holidays
Rachel and Pasha do find moments for themselves, often revolving around the kids. She recounted a trip to see Matilda, where they enjoyed a brief respite: "The kids were quite happy playing in the sand, burying each other, so we just had 10 minutes' peace in a deckchair."
They've booked a summer holiday and a cruise, where Rachel will work while Pasha joins as her plus one. She joked: "We'll just be stuck on a boat together for a few days."
Daughters' Education and Future
As Noa prepares to start school, Rachel feels excited: "She's been in nursery school for a while, so she already loves learning and has already started reading." On academic pressure, she noted research shows kids are better with maths if they're confident, and her eldest wants to be "an Olympic gymnast and a maths teacher."
The children see their parents on TV as normal, but they "go absolutely wild" when watching Pasha perform live. With Strictly coming up, Rachel will be alone with the kids during bath and bed routine, as Pasha will be on tour.
Reflections on Countdown and Fame
Reflecting on nearly 20 years on Countdown, Rachel said: "It feels like forever, but also as if no time has passed at all." She's worked with four presenters and has met people inspired to do maths degrees.
When she replaced Carol Vorderman at 22, fresh from university, she had no TV experience and called it "a whirlwind." She's grateful social media wasn't around then: "I'm sure I would just be completely brutalised now, because you're expected to be perfect and everyone's got an opinion."
Safety Campaign
Rachel is leading Energizer's Summer Safety Swap campaign, highlighting the danger of coin batteries to children. She stressed: "If a child swallows a coin battery, it's a 999 emergency." The campaign encourages families to check for hidden battery hazards and replace old lithium coin batteries with the new Energizer Ultimate Child Shield batteries, which prevent ingestion burns if swallowed.
