Gabby Logan's Blog by Gabby_Logan

Hello again! It's been a busy summer of work so far. It was supposed to be a chilled out one after I left BBC Radio 5 Live, but I took on an irresistible proposition. My new show, which follows The Wright Stuff on Five and is called The Wright Stuff Extra, is now almost 8 weeks old, which means I have done 40 shows already! I can’t believe how quickly the time has flown! From the first conversations about the show with the production company, to getting the show on air took three weeks and it's been a work in progress ever since. I say irresistible because it is a mixture of incredible real-life inspiring guests to celebrities and campaigning films.

And then the last part is a phone-in with a different expert every day. I am having so much fun with the content and working with some really lovely, talented people. The timing of the show means I am finished by lunchtime every day, so I've had the afternoons free to hang out with the kids or more usually, act as a taxi, picking them up from tennis/golf/gymnastics/swimming or drama. My kids are now six which has opened up a whole new world of summer activities and they have made the most of it. I am thrilled they want to try these sports, but I am no closer to knowing if they are going to have a sporting future.

On picking my son up from tennis every day last week, my husband and I were generally greeted with; “He’s a talented athlete and he’d be very good at tennis if he’d (different word for each coach) concentrate/focus or listen”. Apparently by day 5 he sat down on the court and told the coach he was tired. The well meaning young man asked the question; “Did you not sleep well last night?” “No,” my son replied “I am tennis tired”. He then spent most of the weekend in his karate suit practising his moves round the house and when I went in to kiss him goodnight last night he was sweaty, I nervously asked why. “I have just done 30 push ups and I have just been practising my karate moves,” he explained with a big aren’t you pleased grin. People assume because Kenny and I competed internationally at sport that we want our kids to follow suit. But I really don’t care what they do as long as they enjoy it.

Of course I want them to be healthy, so I do encourage movement, but that can mean anything from a bike ride to walking the dog. As for me well exercise has been crammed into 30 minute sessions while Marina the amazing Russian trainer is away. I have found a combination of exercises which I can do in a hotel room or in my bedroom when I don’t have much time, which seems to be keeping everything in place until I can start exercising again properly. The start of the football season has added to the time pressures in the last few weeks. We did manage a week in Spain but I had to leave the holiday on the Friday to come back and prep Final Score for the Saturday. So I left Kenny and the kids to enjoy the sun for a few more days. My son said; “You always leave holiday early...that’s because they can’t start the football season without you”. If you see him please don’t tell him the truth.....