Abbey Clancy may be one of Britain’s most recognisable models, but her life looks nothing like you’d expect a model’s to look. The mum-of-four, who turned 40 in January, is multifaceted: she’s a school-pick-up parent, an equestrian, an agony aunt, a podcaster, a television presenter and interior design aficionado, to name a few. Today, though, she has gone back to her roots as a model on set for HELLO!.
The world first took note of a baby-faced Abbey in 2006, aged 20, when she attended the World Cup in Germany to cheer on now-husband, Peter Crouch, 45. “I was looking at pictures of that the other day,” she tells me while getting ready for our photoshoot, which is in partnership with luxury haircare brand Kérastase. “Literally white blonde, bleached within an inch of life. It was of the time, I suppose.”
Despite being in the public eye for two decades – a fact that she jokes makes her feel “old” – Abbey has never lost touch with who she is and remains down-to-earth. En route to our photoshoot in South West London, she stopped off at a service station Greggs to have a sausage roll for breakfast, something which she’s more than happy to divulge to our crew.
Abbey later tells me: “I’m only used to being myself. I’m always myself no matter who I’m with. That might be a Scouse thing – Scouse people are very open and honest, we wear our hearts on our sleeves.” It’s not the first time her pride to be a Scouser has come up today. Abbey’s mum, Karen Clancy, 64, is also on set to be pictured with her daughter ahead of Mother’s Day. Karen reveals how her own mum, Abbey’s grandmother, took great pride in her appearance and would come down the stairs every morning with sponge rollers in her hair – something they credit to their Liverpudlian roots.
Abbey comments: “Scouse girls are proud to look good. They're always done up to the nines; hair always done, nails done, makeup done. I just think it’s in the genes… It’s in the water.” She playfully adds: “But now I’ve got all my kids and my horse and stuff, I’m not as glam as I used to be.”
So what does the beauty routine of a proud Scouser who has been living down south for 20 years, raising four kids, juggling a demanding career and, in her own words, “surrounded by chaos”, look like? “It’s quite simple really," she reveals. “I just cleanse, tone and moisturise every morning.” In her current product rotation is a cleanser from Arcadian, followed by Obagi’s vitamin C serum and vitamin E cream.
“I’ve always looked after my skin and tried millions of products – my bedroom’s like Space NK!” she laughs. “I love skincare, but I need something that’s quick. I see girls on Instagram doing layers and layers of products, but I’ve got no time for that.” Abbey tops up her at-home skincare efforts with regular Natali Kelly HydraFacials, which are a non-invasive treatment that cleans, hydrates, calms and brightens the face using a handheld device with various nozzles.
It’s hard to imagine where Abbey would fit in the time for extensive self care rituals, given her family is ever-expanding. Alongside raising her kids – daughters Sophia, 14, and Liberty, 10, and sons Johnny, seven, and Jack, six – she has three dogs, a cat, a pony and now a horse, which she rides every day. “Being with a horse, you just get this sense of calm,” she says, but is quick to jokingly add: “Unless it runs away when you’re on it!”
I’m only used to being myself. I’m always myself no matter who I’m with
Abbey, who celebrated her 40th birthday in Dubai and then Paris in January, is embracing the new decade with open arms. “I feel more confident as I’m getting older,” she says. “You just don’t give a s**t as you age. I know who I am. I know the people who love me. I think that that is one of the positives of getting old: not caring what people think anymore.” She’s also an advocate for finding confidence in other aspects of life: “Being kind, being good at something, trusting yourself.”
Another thing that’s changed as she’s gotten older is placing more emphasis on her health, which she views as an extension of her beauty routine. “Life now is more about taking care of my body. I recently did an Ezra scan,” – an advanced MRI scan that can catch signs of potential cancer and hundreds of other conditions – “because, you know, I’m not 20-years-old anymore. I have four kids and I need to be around for them. I think knowledge is power when it comes to health.” She’s keen to stress: “I’ll still have a drink and I’ll still have a Chinese takeaway or a pizza, of course.”
Our photoshoot today is a real family affair. Abbey’s sister, Elle, who also happens to be her hair stylist, is kneeling on the floor using a blow dryer as a makeshift fan to give their hair a wind-swept look for the pictures. Hair is a big part of the Clancy family, with Karen being a hairdresser by trade and cutting her children's hair when they were younger. She says: “My mum always used to say, ‘your main thing's your hair, always make sure your hair's done’. And I think that's something that we do as a family.”
The new Kérastase Chronologiste range has become a staple in both Karen and Abbey’s bathrooms, with Karen noticing her hair feels much more revitalised since implementing the range, which she largely credits to the Overnight Youth Serum. Designed for hair that’s weakened with age (think dullness, dryness, frizz, loss of volume and thickness), the formula is enriched with anti-ageing Pro-Xylane and restorative Ochrophyta Algae, a potent blend that reverses the signs of hair ageing while you sleep.
Given her decades of experience in the industry, I’m taking note of Karen’s product recommendations. She says: “I always use the best thing I can find for my hair, which is Kérastase Chronologiste at this time. I can feel the difference: it's silkier when I use the shampoo and the mask makes my hair feel fantastic.”
As conversation hones in on health, Abbey gets increasingly candid: “Dying scares me, and I’ve got health anxiety.” This poignant admission is something that’s struck a chord with thousands of Brits, with Abbey becoming somewhat of an agony aunt on her award-winning podcast, The Therapy Crouch, which she hosts alongside her husband Peter. Listeners regularly write in seeking advice from her, often about health and beauty, which is something she says “brings a tear to my eye”.
Scouse girls are proud to look good. I just think it’s in the genes… It’s in the water
For example, one episode saw Abbey open the floor for listeners to share their personal struggles with endometriosis, which is something she was diagnosed with when trying to get pregnant for the first time. Also referred to as Endo, it is a chronic condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other parts of the female body, such as the ovaries or fallopian tubes, causing inflammation, scarring and often severe pain. After receiving a wave of moving stories, Abbey and Peter arranged for several of those women to receive free consultations and treatments from a private gynaecologist.
Abbey says: “People open up to us so much, and I think that’s because we are so open and honest. It’s not edited. I’ll take a few swear words out because my mouth’s like a sewer sometimes, but the podcast is not edited. It is what it is, and I think people can tell it’s real.” She also believes that “laughter is the best medicine”, which is something she tries to demonstrate on the podcast.
Asked whether always looking on the bright side of life is something that comes naturally to her, Abbey smiles: “If I’m in a good mood, yeah.”
Shop Kérastase Chronologiste in-store at Boots and online at boots.com.
