Joe Wicks has discussed his ‘chaotic childhood’ with his heroin addict father and mother with extreme OCD as he revealed his ‘ridiculous plan’ to have six children.
The health influencer, 38, has three children with his wife Rosie – daughter Indie, five, son Marley, three, and 13-month old baby girl Leni and spoke about his family in a candid new interview.
Joe spoke to Unfiltered editor-in-chief Joe Warner about his determination to ensure the children had a ‘stable’ home, something he lacked as a kid after his own and parents’ struggled with addiction.
He discussed his own ‘chaotic’ childhood which saw his mother Raquela leaving him in the care of his heroin addict father Gary when he was 12 years old in order to get help for her OCD.
Joe has previously lauded his mother for being ‘brave’ enough to get the help she needed in the form of five months of therapy, while his older brother Nikki, 39, tried to shelter him from the daily horrors of living with their addict father.
EXCLUSIVE: Joe Wicks has discussed his ‘chaotic childhood’ with his heroin addict father and mother who has extreme OCD and revealed why he has a ‘ridiculous plan’ to have six children
Happy families: The sportsman shares daughter Indie, five, son Marley, three, and thirteen-month old baby girl Leni, with his other half but wants to have three more children
Honest account: Joe spoke to Unfiltered editor-in-chief Joe Warner about his determination to ensure the children had a ‘stable’ home, something he lacked as a kid
Speaking out: He discussed his own ‘chaotic’ childhood which saw his mother leaving him in the care of his heroin addict father when he was 12 years old in order to get help for her OCD
He said: ‘My dad, obviously, was struggling when I was growing up. My dad’s been drug addict from a very age, so he was struggling with heroin addiction, so it was very hard for him to be present and parent emotionally when he was so, he is in such a bad way with that’.
‘So that was obviously one thing, and my Mum had her own issue. She obviously had extreme OCD, like cleaning, extreme, everyday eating disorders, anxiety – it was tough’.
And talking about wanting to expand his own brood, he said: ‘Well, I’ve got three kids, and you might think I’m mad, but we actually want like six kids’.
‘It seems ridiculous, right? You think that’s a big number. But the reason I love, I meet families when I do these tours and I do the PE with Joe tours and I see kids, five kids, six kids, and I just love the energy and just the culture of that family – all into fitness, all into exercise’.
He went on to explain how becoming a father had ‘changed his perception of time’ making him realise how important it was to be home and not always at work.
‘I’ve always felt like I’ve got a good balance because I don’t just [work all the time]. I’m not filming TV shows. I could do a lot more TV, a lot more kind of traveling,’
‘But I actually think, you know what? I love social media and love doing digital because I can be at home with them and be present and be more present as a father.
Before adding: ‘But yeah, they (kids) stress me out. Don’t get me wrong! That’s why I still exercise every day!’.
Father: Joe revealed his determination to ensure the children had a ‘stable’ home, something he lacked as a kid after his own and parents struggled with addiction
Upbringing: Joe’s mother Raquela left him in the care of his heroin addict father when he was 12 in order to get help for her extreme OCD (pictured with his mother and younger brother George)
Honest: He said: ‘My dad, obviously, was struggling when I was growing up. My dad’s been drug addict from a very age, so he was struggling with heroin addiction, so it was very hard for him to be present and parent emotionally (pictured with his brother George and father Gary in 2022)
Celebrating: Joe has previously lauded his mother (pictured) for being ‘brave’ enough to get the help she needed in the form of five months of therapy, while his older brother Nikki, 39, tried to shelter him from the daily horrors of living with their addict father
Going on to say: ‘I think it was a lot of instability as a kid. And one thing I really want to create now as a parent is stability’.
‘I know that as long as I love my children, create a stable home life where they feel safe and secure, you can pretty much get through anything’.
He revealed he grew up in a house with ‘lots of shouting’ where holes would be punched in walls following his parents blazing rows, actions he has worked hard not to repeat as an adult.
‘Now as a parent, I find myself wanting to scream and shout – instantly. Default setting is scream and shout’.
‘You can’t deal with your emotions right now, slam the door, walk out. But I’m learning and I’m trying to really think differently and challenge that a little bit and trying to be more patient and know that I can react different and that default setting I’ve got,’.
Joe continues: ‘I’m working through it, and learning ways, basically have a breath, take a moment, and react different and with compassion that your child is having a tantrum because they haven’t developed the rational thinking yet’.
He said he was honest about the realities of parenthood for people to know it was ‘ok to sometimes lose it’ but how important it was to try and learn different ways of dealing with stress.
Let’s talk: Joe chats about his difficult upbringing in a scene from the new interview
