Loose Women star Judi Love has shared how she deals with the dreaded ‘mum guilt’ while working and parenting her two teenagers, admitting they constantly ‘inspire’ her.

As she juggles life on the Loose Women panel, her career as a comedian and being a mum to two teenagers, Judi Love tells us it’s all about striking a balance. With a 19-year-old daughter and a 15-year-old son, both from a previous relationship, Judi isn’t afraid to admit she sometimes suffers from the dreaded “mum guilt”.

“I think we all [have mum guilt] – it’s completely natural as a mum trying to balance a career with spending as much time with your children as possible. I always try to remind myself that as long as I’m doing my best to nurture them and set an example, which we all are, there’s nothing to be guilty about,” says Judi, 44, who is fiercely private when it comes to her children being in the spotlight.

Judi rose to fame in 2011 for her stand up comedy

Adding that she’s never too far from her family, Judi continues, “My sets are often inspired by my children, I talk a lot about them in my shows. That way when I’m missing my children on tour, it’s like I’m bringing a piece of them with me.”

Judi rose to fame in 2011 when she began her stand-up comedy career, and has since become a household
name, making regular appearances on ITV ’s Loose Women since 2020. While she may be flying high now, life hasn’t always been so glamorous for Judi, who grew up in Hackney, east London, and was qualified as a social worker before moving into comedy. “I never take my career for granted,” she says. “I did have those harder times so I’m really grateful for everything I’ve got. I remind myself all the time that it could change any day so you have to be thankful – and continue to work hard to achieve your dreams.”

She continues, “I’ve always had a performing streak, right from being a young child. I’m the youngest of five so I was the joker of the family and always trying to entertain people and make them laugh!”

It seems not much has changed, as Judi still strives to spread laughter now. “I always say, ‘Laughter is healing.’ That’s always been my approach to overcoming life’s obstacles. I try to find humour in the everyday and I’ve seen firsthand in my work the power laughter has to bring people together and help them escape or forget whatever curveballs life may throw at them, even if just for a moment. Life’s too short not to have a laugh.”

She is now a regular member of the Loose Women panel
Now, Judi is living out her dreams and doing just that. Telling us about some career highlights she’s ticked off during her time on Loose Women, she says, “The show has provided me with such a range of wonderful opportunities
in my career and has opened so many doors for me. I had the honour of meeting and interviewing my idol Whoopi Goldberg, I’ve interviewed Naomi Campbell, I’ve interviewed Janet Jackson. Those are all experiences I’ll never forget and total career highlights.”

The show has not only catapulted Judi’s career, but has also acted as a platform for her to break taboos, including opening up about her struggles with endometriosis. Judi was diagnosed with endometriosis almost two decades ago, but says it wasn’t easy to get the diagnosis.

“It took me about five years to get a diagnosis, and the average time is even longer – as long as nine years. For women, our pain is often not always taken seriously, so symptoms are just put down to having ‘bad periods’. At the time, it wasn’t spoken about much, so when I received my diagnosis I honestly didn’t really know what it was, but the effect on my life, my physical and mental health, was sometimes unbearable,” she admits.

“I think it’s so important that people are starting to have more open conversations about endometriosis and the impact it can have, as well as pushing for diagnoses, because not having that pain recognised or acknowledged is really difficult.”

Judi is prioritising her health since hitting 40 ( 
Image:
Mike Marsland/WireImage)

She lives by the ‘health is wealth’ motto ( 
Image:
PA)Passionate about tackling stigmas when it comes to health, Judi is using the new year as a chance to prioritise her wellbeing. “I like to be active, I really enjoy boxing – it makes me feel good,” she says. “One of my big mottos is ‘health is wealth’ – so that’s what I keep in mind when it comes to goals. It’s really worth investing the time in being active. It’s an ongoing thing for me which I work around my schedule, so my plan is to continue those habits for
the rest of 2025.”

Judi says since she hit her forties, she’s also been taking more care with her eating and drinking habits. She adds, “You do have to be more careful as you get older I’ve found, and I’m more mindful of what I’m putting into my body.”

In that same vein, Judi has kicked off 2025 by joining forces with Pink Lady apples for a new campaign. She explains, “I’m so excited to be working with Pink Lady apples – the campaign is all about fear of judgement at lunchtime. According to new research, 81% of office workers admit they wouldn’t eat the same foods at work that they enjoy at home, because they fear being judged by coworkers. The message of the campaign is ‘you do you’ – which is how I try to live my life!”

We wonder, what are lunch breaks like behind the scenes at Loose Women? “We do embrace the food that brings us joy for our lunches – and it’s a real mix.” says Judi. “Sometimes I’ll fancy grabbing something from a café near the studio, and other times I’ll want something warm – like homemade leftovers – which I’ll bring in. One of my go-to office lunches would be homemade curry – that’s a lunch I’d always look forward to!

“My lunch is usually very flavour-packed so it definitely creates some nice smells and probably some food envy too! Although we all get food envy occasionally as there’s generally lots of delicious food around at lunchtime.”

So what else is in store for Judi in 2025?

“My goals are very career focused,” she says. “I love being on stage doing comedy, there’s nothing like it. So I’d love to go back on tour – I’m writing new material and I hope to get back out there again soon.”