Rochelle Humes says she's 'a mess' as she opens up on being 'emotional wreck'

Rochelle Humes is a busy woman, juggling three kids and a busy TV career - and, as she admits, there's one element of her life which frequently has her an emotional wreck

Looking at Rochelle Humes, you wouldn't guess she's spinning plates managing three children, a booming children's hair and skincare business, and a thriving telly career. Yet the This Morning presenter is the picture of polish when we sit down for a natter – flawlessly coiffed, makeup on point, all unworried grins and laughter.

"Don't be fooled," she chuckles, acknowledging our astonishment. "The juggle is real! " Rochelle, mum to Alaia-Mai, 11, Valentina, seven, and four year old Blake, whom she shares with husband Marvin, is industriously expanding her My Little Coco line while helming The Hit List on BBC One alongside Marvin. To add to her busy schedule, she's now Dylon's brand ambassador. But she wouldn’t trade her hectic life for anything, she tells OK!.

"I'm blessed that my job is so varied," she comments. "And lucky my mum is retired so she can help with the kids. They're all school age now, so they're kind of in childcare by default, so between 8.30am and 3.30pm I fit in as much as possible."

Now 35, Rochelle is still processing the fact that her littlest, Blake, just celebrated his fourth birthday. "I cried three times on his birthday," she confesses. "I was making a video and looking at pictures from when he was born, I was a mess! I'm not an emotional person day to day, but my kids are my soft spot. I want to wrap them in cotton wool for as long as possible."

And Rochelle has candidly opened up about her emotional side, especially when it comes to kids on talent shows. "I need to ask Alesha Dixon how she holds it together judging Britain's Got Talent," she shared with us. "If there's a kid on with a sad story, I go to pieces. I'll be crying on my sofa. I was never that person before but now, [when I hear] a sad story, or if someone compliments my children, I just can't deal!"

Rochelle finds comfort in husband Marvin, 39, who she tied the knot with back in 2012. The couple, still smitten after 12 years and juggling various joint ventures, swear by setting clear boundaries to keep their romance blooming.

"We never work together from home," Rochelle reveals. "If it all gets blurred into one, it's too much. The sofa is our sacred space, there's no talk of jobs or numbers when we're relaxing. Plus, we're good at checking in with each other. We're not scared to say, 'We need a night together.' We've got three little humans, who our world revolves around, so we're aware when we need to take time for our marriage. We try to take a couple's trip at least once a year. That's important."

With Marvin hitting the road with JLS this summer and his stint on I'm A Celebrity last year, the lovebirds have managed to sneak away for some sun-soaked downtime in Ibiza and Italy. "We were away for six days while Mum had the kids, it was brilliant and well worth it," Rochelle enthuses.

Another activity keeping the pair busy is supporting their friend, JLS star JB Gill, on Strictly. "JB's doing so well and we're all so proud of him," she shares. "It's a proper family affair, too. His wife, Chloe, is an ex-dancer so it's like all her Christmases have come at once. She's at rehearsals, and when he goes home they can genuinely practice together."

Rochelle herself graced the Strictly Christmas special 11 years ago, but recently, on Loose Women, swore never to do it again, after Bruno Tonioli compared her dancing to "the auntie at the Christmas party who'd drunk too much sherry". We asked if watching JB has swayed her decision. "No! " she shrieks. "I can't explain how intimidating it is. So I salute anyone doing it."

Hearing Rochelle – a fantastic dancer who started her career in pop group S Club Juniors and later joined The Saturdays – discuss stage fright is surprising. We asked if she keeps in touch with the girlband – Una Healy, Frankie Bridge, Mollie King and Vanessa White. "We have a WhatsApp group and we bump into each other at work events," Rochelle reveals. "Frankie is often on Loose Women, so if I'm at the studio, too, we'll snatch a few moments together. Otherwise it's nearly impossible to get us all in a room together. We have kids and the logistics don't often align."

A Girls Aloud style reunion isn't looking likely, as she confesses, "Never say never, but I can't see in what world a reunion would work right now," adding thoughtfully, "When you have kids, everything changes." Indeed, her daughter Alaia has just made the leap to secondary school in September, which Rochelle finds quite an emotional adjustment. "It's the hormones and things, it ramps everything up," she confides. "Alaia's really adult at the minute. She still does really young things, but she can really read a room. She could easily be with me and my girlfriends and have an interesting conversation."

Yet, when pondering her daughter stepping into the music scene, Rochelle’s maternal instincts hit high note - "No! " is her frank reaction at the notion of Alaia joining a band. "I'm aware it's hypocritical, but times are different now. I don't have a horror story, but we weren't on social media and weren't subjected to the sort of trolling you see now. I'd really like my kids to live a carefree childhood and not grow up too quickly. I want them to experience freedom, so I'm trying to steer her away from social media for as long as possible."

Being the great mum she clearly is, it’s only apt that Dylon picked her for their detergent ambassador. And as for whether Dylon will help the star recycle her wardrobe, she reveals, "I have a gorgeous bandage dress that Marvin bought me years ago," adding with a grin, "I have a feeling they're coming back in style... so it might be time to dig it out again!".