Interview with Binky Felstead for Beyond Chelsea
Category: Interview1.Tell us, how thrilled are you to be returning to screens in Beyond Chelsea?
I am excited and a little bit nervous. I feel like I’ve been in a bubble since leaving Made in Chelsea. A lot has changed, and I’ve grown up a lot. So for me to open myself up to the public again and allow cameras into my home to meet my children and husband is quite daunting, but I feel like I’m ready for that to happen. It is a really good time, I’ve got a lot of fun projects bubbling away, so it’s great timing.
2.Life has moved on quite significantly since we last saw you, tell us what life looks like for you currently.
Currently, I’m a very busy working mummy and wife. I’ve got two businesses and Instagram is another business in itself. I’m also juggling three kids on top of juggling work stuff – especially as my husband works away quite a lot with work. It’s a high energy, buzzy household. I’m always doing something – but that’s really fun. I’ve made a lot of big changes in my life and my children have been a big part of that. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. Life started shaping properly when I turned thirty and I think once I hit it, you don’t give a sh*t about what people think about you as much, so that’s a big thing for me.
3. You’re reuniting with your besties for this show, tell us about the concept of Beyond Chelsea.
I pitched the show to the production company last year because I get an influx of messages every day saying “when can we get the Ogs back together…are you still friends with XXX” so it got me thinking. It took a bit of time to get there, but here we are. It has been really fun filming this series and seeing Rosie and Lucy and going back to the old ways of filming together.
4. Why now? What made you want to return to screens in this show?
I feel like I wanted it to be very different to how we used to film. I’ve got kids, I’ve got businesses and I’m so busy, so I wanted it to be more the cameras following us around and filming me pottering around and doing what I do in every day life. Also – the drama – you don’t need the drama in this show because of all the things we’re getting up to in our own personal lives. People have grown up with us, so I think It’s going to be way more interesting to people watching as they can relate to us. If this goes to a series, I’m sure there will be drama, but for now, it’s a really nice way of introducing what is happening in our lives currently.
5. What will we see you navigating in this show? What will you be getting up to? So it’s my businesses, personal lives, what we’re getting up to, daily routines and life in general. You’ll see me making the kids breakfast to me shooting campaigns and having meetings. I feel it’s fascinating to find out what goes on behind the scenes of a shoot or a campaign shoot. People see the glossy side on Instagram, but they don’t see the unglamorous hours behind the scenes. It is quite fun to also compare to how our lives were back on Made in Chelsea to where we are now, it’s quite amazing what we have managed to achieve with that show. I would never slag off Made in Chelsea as I would not be here doing the things I’m doing now if it wasn’t for that show.
6. Why should fans get excited for this show? What stands out about it? It’s the next chapter. Those die hard fans back in the day don’t want to watch people shouting. I can’t watch it! This is more of insight into the next stage of our lives.
7. It’s really important that when you’re juggling family life, business and staying in the public eye that you have the grounding of your friends. Have the three of you been each others rock?
Lucy and I initially lost touch as we were in different places in life. It’s since she has had her children that we’ve really started to build our friendship again and became stronger. It’s been so lovely to reconnect and hanging out with her and getting close. Again, me and Rosie have remained close since leaving the show.
8.Made in Chelsea continues to be a triumph in the Reality Tv world. Tell us about your time on Made in Chelsea…
I feel like it was such an exciting project that we had no idea where it was going to go. I remember someone asking me for my autograph and photo for the first time and it was just a steady progression of fame. The audience grew up with us and it was really fun to experience that along with them. We had the most amazing experiences from the away trips, living abroad and such. I’ve got my child India because of being on that show. Don’t get me wrong, there were the anxieties that came with it, but I managed to stay myself and not get pulled into the drama.
9. What would you say is the one most important thing that you’ve learnt from appearing on Made in Chelsea and taken into your life since finishing filming?
I have learnt to stay out of drama. I don’t want to get involved in the drama. I want to stay away from it and be a sounding board instead. For me, the biggest thing I’ve learnt is who and who not to trust. I’m a good judge of character now I feel and I can see straight through bullsh*t and people who aren’t genuine.
10. What is your favourite thing about being back in front of the camera?
I love being busy, I love the hustle.
12. Finally, if you’re fancying a night out on Kings Road, tell us your favourite hot-spot…
Absolutely not on Kings Road anymore. That’s for sure. Been there, done that. I would like to go to either the country for the night to a cosy, fabulous hotel or spa and get in front of a cosy log fire. Or go somewhere local, the theatre or something fun.