In Conversation with Kirsty Gallacher

Claudia: Welcome, welcome, so nice to see you! I should say that this is a complete joke that I’m paid to do this as my job. Because, we’re actually friends and it’s so lovely to see you. It’s been absolutely my privilege to do these each week and speak to these incredibly-accomplished women. And, none more so than you, Kirsty Gallacher. I want to ask you, do you think that those accomplishments come by luck or hard-work or a combination of both?

Kirsty: My accomplishments? Oh, you’re so lovely. First of all, thank you for having me because you know how much I love you and how much I love THE OUTNET. I mean, seriously, this is quite an honor. My mum is extremely excited because she’s on there all day. I love having a career where I’ve done so many different things, met so many people, been and travelled and interviewed. I’m very lucky, I have to say I’m extremely lucky, but I have worked very hard.

Claudia: You are undeniably gorgeous and I wonder what the public perception of you is, in that you are part of that male-dominated world, presenting sport, and a certain amount of envy might come from other women. You stroll on knowing everything about sport and you look like Jessica Rabbit! But, actually, I know you to be a real girl’s girl and all about your group of girlfriends. So, do you think that that’s something you’ve had through your life, a misconception of who you are?

Kirsty: Yes, yes, massively. I’ve talked about it quite a lot in interviews and it’s one thing that’s upset me over the years. REALLY upset me, because I am a girl’s girl. I started in golf and worked my way behind-the-scenes and then in front of the camera. Sky are brilliant at looking within the company and the corporation and going, ‘right, ok, we want to put this person on screen, we think they’ve got talent.’ Which is a fabulous thing that they do those promotions, do you know what I mean? I really was very scared to do that because I thought, you know, especially when I started there were a lot of comments and things. And, I’m thinking, ‘that’s not me, that’s not the person that you think it is.’

Claudia: You are very disciplined about your training and your fitness, aren’t you? I’m always seeing you lugging some sort of tractor tire around a field and bench pressing 10 men over your head!

Kirsty: That would be good. I do love my fitness. I really, really love it. It’s important to me actually, it was a couple of friends who introduced me to Mel D, my trainer, who really came at the right time in my life when I needed to focus on something more and differently and kind of think about myself I guess.

Claudia: I was going to ask you, I know you love your clothes as well, do you do the training to look brilliant in the clothes and to look a certain way or are you doing it for the psychological benefits?

Kirsty: I feel more than anything, it, to me, it’s feeling good, feeling like I’m in touch with my body… this sounds really strange. I love it when I’ve done a really hard training session and then I’m quite sore. I’m like ‘Oo,’ I know I’ve trained. Yeah, you can feel it, or you feel like you’re in touch with your body.

Claudia: You’ve got such a glamorous aesthetic but also, you really mix it up. How would you describe your style? You do a good boiler suit, yes you do! And you’ll do an amazing bodycon, form-fitting dress!

Kirsty: Well, yeah, I think there’s lazy Kirsty, and the Kirsty who’s getting glammed up situation. I, no, I would say, really, I’m a very simplistic… I kind of like classic with an edge. I like classic with a slight turn on its head… I can’t wear print, can’t wear prints. I don’t know why, I love them on other people. But, you know me, I’m quite tidy and organized, I like the same with my dress sense. I like the sort of simplicity of certain things, especially glam-wear at night. Yeah, the bodycon thing works better for me…

Claudia: I know that you’re an Ambassador for brands, you’ve got the podcast, you’ve mentioned the fact that you were doing all these other types of shows, radio, soccer aid — do you feel fulfilled by all these other projects?

Kirsty: I think I feel more fulfilled as I go along. Because I’ve got the time to do other things. And, the thing for me, huge thing for me is I love change. I don’t like staying in one place. I love going and doing different things all the time.

Claudia: Oh, you’re brave. I can’t bear change; it makes me so unsettled.

Kirsty: I’m the opposite. I’m absolutely the opposite, I get so twitchy. But, I think there was part of me that was hungry to do these other things and to keep learning. I said to you, I love that sort of feeling of trying this and doing radio and doing a podcast and you can’t do it all. You’ve got to make it work for you. So, I’m loving being a freelancer, I’m loving doing all these things and looking at my next big project and there’s lots of things happening at the moment so it’s really exciting.

Claudia: But, the juggle as a mother, and as a single mother, is really tough. How do you manage all of that?

Kirsty: Well, I didn’t manage very well for a while. I think that’s quite widely known. But then, again lots of people don’t know the full story. I didn’t manage it very well, I found it very difficult, actually. Suddenly being a single mum with the hours I was doing. So, I think sometimes you’ve got to prioritize, and I had to think about the kids and just go, ‘right, I wasn’t really seeing them enough.’ And suddenly, yeah, flung into this new world of being on my own as a parent, I had to change it up, which I have.

Claudia: And, how are you finding that? Because, as you’ve alluded to, the British press, and the tabloid press in particular, not necessarily the kindest or the most forgiving…

Kirsty: Well, there is no solution to that. You’ve got to work it out for yourself and learn from your mistakes. That’s what you need to do. But, I think that’s all you can do. Everyone copes differently, not everybody knows the full story of anything. That’s why I never judge anyone, because I know what it’s like to be judged. We all make errors, we make mistakes, we go through things and I think it’s how you come back from that and it’s how you learn from that and it’s how you rectify, you get back on the horse really. And that to me is the biggest thing, do you know what I mean?

Claudia: Yeah, yeah, I do. So, you are, I know, in a much happier, settled place.

Kirsty: Yeah, I’m a different woman.

Claudia: Anyway! I wanted to ask generally though, how are you coping with lockdown? Because you said you can’t cope with being still for very long, you want to be busy and doing things.

Kirsty: I just think it’s been the most surreal, bizarre year. You know, it’s just strange but I have to say I’ve been very lucky, I think the podcast has really been incredible. Because really being able to do that, chuck myself into that… we still did soccer aid Dermott O’Leary and I, in front of no one. But, we made more money for UNICEF than ever! Which is just, it made me really emotional, I think it was £10 million for UNICEF.

Claudia: Thank you so much Kirsty for joining us and telling us about your life and I’m so pleased that you’re in such a good place and we’re going to get you onto our Iris & Ink activewear, 100%.

Kirsty: Thank you so much for having me on THE OUTNET!

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