Kelly Brook, fresh from an epic adventure with her husband Jeremy Parisi, is already gearing up for their next challenge - the London Marathon. "We work as a team but also know how to compromise on things," the former Strictly Come Dancing star shares with a smile. "I'm definitely more laid-back, while Jeremy is all 'Go, go, go', and I think that's true for all our daily habits. We have different approaches, but it's all about finding that balance."
Kelly, who was previously engaged three times, including to action star Jason Statham, Hollywood actor Billy Zane and rugby ace Thom Evans, seems happier than ever when OK! caught up with her and her Italian model husband Jeremy via video call ahead of competing in the 2025 TCS London Marathon with Radox. But stepping out of her comfort zone is nothing new for Kelly, as she and Jeremy really pushed themselves to their limits on Celebrity Race Across The World.
In fact, Kelly, who started her career at just 18 years old as a model and is now a presenter on Heart FM, showed a whole other side to herself on the reality show. Not only did she dare to go makeup free in front of around four million viewers as they trekked across South America, but she also opened up about her "difficult" times growing up in the public eye.
Kelly and Jeremy, who found love in 2014 and tied the knot in an extravagant Italian ceremony in July 2022, are now living a more relaxed life in London with their Cavapoo dog, Teddy. The pair, who usually keep their relationship private, have decided to share some insights into their life together. Kelly, 44, and Jeremy, 39, discuss their future plans (including the possibility of children), their new TV show that offers a glimpse into their private life, and Kelly's journey towards body confidence.
Hi both! Your ‘fur baby’ Teddy is adorable - do you have plans to expand your family even further?
Kelly: Well, we saw a lovely Bernedoodle today. We are obsessed, so another dog is what’s next for us. We’re not really having any of those conversations [about babies] at the moment. Things are really busy.
Kelly, you’ve been open about body confidence - how do you feel nowadays?You look incredible. Jeremy,we’re sure you agree!
Kelly: I’m just trying to embrace the changes as I get older. I’m not trying to hold on to the body of my 21-year-old self, I’ve got to embrace that it’s different. It’s tricky though, I was trying a dress on in a shop the other day and, you know, 20 years ago I’d be able to put anything on and feel fabulous. But now my boobs aren’t as high as they once were, I’ve got fat rolls on my back, and this and that - but I just embrace it. I do think we can be too hard on ourselves though. I’ve learned, especially training for the London Marathon, I just want to be fit and strong. I’m no longer into looking a certain way. I just want my body to work and be able to do amazing things.
It sounds like a really positive change in mindset...
Kelly: Feeling fit and healthy comes from looking after yourself. Jeremy and I are really good with what we put in our bodies. We make all our own meals, hardly eat out and never really get takeaways. We’re disciplined on that front and Jeremy doesn’t even drink alcohol - I’d love to say that’s the case for me [laughs].
Tell us more about your new show, Kelly And Jeremy: La Vita Italiana - what can fans expect?
Kelly: It’s sort of like a show within a show. This Morning commissioned us to film on Jeremy’s farm in Italy, and viewers get to meet his family. It’s an insight into our life and future, really. Jeremy wants to spend more time in Italy, it’s where we got married and where his family are from and, I think, people love shows like Clarkson’s Farm . It gives an insight into more rural, idyllic lifestyles but when you actually live it, you realise it’s not as easy as it looks. It’s a lot more challenging.
You largely keep your relationship private these days - was it daunting opening the doors to it?
Kelly: It was. When we watched the first episode together, I said to Jeremy, ‘I feel like I’ve kept you as my secret for 10 years and now I’ve got to share you with the world. I hope it doesn’t change anything because we have lived a really lovely, private life for a long, long time’. Race Across The World was really Jeremy’s first step in being on television and being recognised. People will come up to him in the street now and I sort of protected him from all of that before. But for us it was about finding the right thing - we thought there’s the I’m A Celeb jungle, there’s Big Brother, there’s so much, but when Race Across The World came up, it seemed perfect.
This won’t be the first time fans will see you work together as a couple - what made you sign up for Celebrity Race Across The World ?
Kelly: We wanted to share something together. It gave us a new experience and a new chapter in our life after almost 10 years together.
Jeremy: And we came back without any regrets.
Kelly: It’s true, and it was so challenging on many levels but Jeremy and I have very different lives and this was something we could share. It was nice to do it as a team. We energised and encouraged one another.
Did it bring you closer or did you ever butt heads?
Jeremy: After 10 years together, we’re already really close. We’ve experienced a lot together so this sort of felt more like me and Kelly against the world.
Kelly: When you do a race like this, you can’t really blame each other for anything. Like if buses break down or the hotel hasn’t got any room - there’s so many things that could happen and you just don’t want to make anything worse.
On the show, Kelly, you discussed how the early days of fame felt like “another life”. Was it difficult to revisit hard times?
Kelly: To be honest, I’m always looking forward and I never really look backwards. That was very much a production-style scene for the show, it’s not a typical conversation that Jeremy and I would have. It wasn’t easy to open up [about difficult times] because I always think if something doesn’t work, I just compartmentalise it and move forward. I like to focus on the positive, so to kind of address more negative aspects of my career or parts of my life, it’s not something I like to dwell on. I’m very much a ‘What’s next?’ type of person.
So, tell us more about the campaign you’re both working on with Radox...
Kelly: We were both looking for our next adventure, we just really enjoy doing things together. We motivate and encourage one another, so when Radox partnered up with the 2025 TCS London Marathon with Radox, we thought it was a great challenge to work towards next year. Neither of us have run a marathon before so I imagine we’ll be a little bit sore afterwards. We also know this won’t be the easiest thing we’ve ever embarked on - it will be a tough challenge. Jeremy is hoping for a good time but I just want to finish it. He’s quite competitive in that way.
Kelly and Jeremy will be running the 2025 TCS London Marathon with Radox on Sunday 27 April. As part of their ambassadorship, the couple will be giving away a pair of places to the London Marathon to inspire others to join the challenge and Feel Radox Ready. A link to the competition is live on the couple’s social media pages