A Journey of Openness and Growth
Sophie Habboo and her husband Jamie Laing have built their careers on the power of openness. Starting out on Made in Chelsea, they have since created a podcasting empire that delves into the intricacies of love, sex, and marriage. Their journey has been marked by honesty, vulnerability, and an unrelenting willingness to share their lives with the world.
The couple’s first podcast, NearlyWeds, evolved into NearlyParents and is set to transition into NewlyParents following the birth of their son Ziggy in December. The progression of their content reflects the natural stages of life, with some humorously suggesting future shows like NearlyMidlifeCrisis or NewlyRetired. Now, they have taken their story to a global stage with their three-part TV reality show, Raising Chelsea, which launched on Disney+ this week.
For Habboo, the idea of appearing on a major platform like Disney+ was unexpected. “Jamie is a massive optimist. He had a conversation and was like: ‘Oh my god, we’re going to do a show on Disney.’ And I’m very much like: ‘I’ll believe it when I see it,’” she recalls. However, she felt it was a natural extension of their work. “We share our life so openly already on the podcast and people seem to respond well to that. The listeners have grown up at the same stage as us, getting married, doing houses up, lots of them are pregnant now. It’s nice to stay on that journey with them.”
Filming on a Smaller Scale
Filming Raising Chelsea was a different experience compared to Made in Chelsea, where the couple met and fell in love (though not instantly). “On Made in Chelsea, it’s constructed and there’s a whole set-up of lights and cameras, so when we started filming with Disney, I was like: ‘Where are the rest of the cameras?’ We had one producer and one guy filming in the corner.” This minimal setup allowed for a more authentic portrayal of their lives, capturing everything from scans and birth to late-night feeding and hormonally challenging moments.
Habboo admits that being pregnant was a new experience for her, and having a camera follow her added to the anxiety. “I’ve never been pregnant before, so I didn’t know how I was going to be and I found it very anxiety-inducing. It probably wasn’t the most ideal time to have a camera following me, because I probably wasn’t the best version of myself.” Despite the challenges, she reminded herself of the purpose behind the project. “Those moments when I was like: ‘Please, I just want some privacy,’ I reminded myself that this is what we signed up for. This is what people need to see, it will connect better with them if they’re let into those moments.”
A New Perspective
Now that Ziggy is here, Habboo has noticed a significant change in herself. “I’m calmer, less judgmental – I care less about what other people think,” she says. “It’s the greatest thing I’ve ever done and the most fulfilled I’ve ever felt.” However, she also acknowledges the challenges of parenthood. “And it’s so hard. I’m definitely not firing on all cylinders. I had no idea about sleep regression. Ziggy was just waking up once a night, and then boom, it’s every hour.”
Beyond their personal journey, the couple runs JamPot, their podcasting production company. Five years ago, Habboo knew little about podcasting. Today, she and Laing host one of the UK’s top-rated shows, Wednesdays with her best friend Melissa Tattam, and produce podcasts such as Paloma Faith’s Mad, Sad and Bad and Katherine Ryan’s Write Me Dirty. They also oversee the new incarnation of NearlyWeds, featuring Love Island’s Molly Smith and Tom Clare.
Balancing Privacy and Public Life
As their son grows, Habboo wonders how their past work might affect him. “Will NewlyParents be a more reserved experience, given that Ziggy may grow up and listen to his parent’s back catalogue one day?” she asks. “I don’t want to be at parents’ evening and they’re like: ‘Oh, it’s the mum who talks about poo all the time.’ I don’t know, though. I fear that it won’t have shifted in Jamie’s head. And I hope it doesn’t change too much. We’ve still got to be ourselves.”
Habboo has also reflected on whether she regrets anything she has said on her podcast. “Oh, so much. Honestly, everything. At the time, in my mind, I’m like: ‘Of course, it’s gonna get edited out.’” She avoids online opinions whenever possible, noting that she is not as thick-skinned as Jamie. “I try to not look at the Daily Mail comments – even though he loves to read them to me – because then you can’t sleep, it’s all you think about.”
A Platform for Connection
With Raising Chelsea now available on Disney+, Habboo feels a sense of responsibility to continue sharing her story. “We put ourselves out there at a very vulnerable time for me, so I hope it just resonates with people.” Her journey continues to inspire, offering a raw and honest look at the complexities of modern life.
