TV love guru Nadia Essex has described the moment she lost over £5,000 worth of work due to a lack of childcare and support with her newborn son.
The mother-of-one, who gave birth to her first son Ezekiel just before the national lockdown in 2020, recalled the difficulties she faced trying to juggle her career and looking after her child.
Speaking exclusively to Daily Star at the opening of Lit bar in Clapham, the reality star and love guru gave her honest opinion on motherhood.
When asked about how she has manged to juggle parenting and work, Nadia, 39, said: “It’s extremely difficult because there’s no support for women, not proper support.
(Image: Barcroft Media via Getty Images)
“I haven’t had any child care for the last six weeks because my child minder wasn’t working so I had no childcare and I lost over £5,000 worth of work.
“Once I put him to bed I come downstairs, I tidy up, I make dinner- the last thing I want to do is start working. I want to go bed. I can’t fit it all in,” she explained.
Nadia continued: “And childcare these days, you’re looking at £100 a day.
“Most people don’t earn £100 a day. After tax and national insurance a lot people don’t earn that. Even if you do earn that, are you going to pay your day wages for someone else to look after your child and you get nothing out of it?
(Image: Instagram)
“It’s so difficult!” She exclaimed.
The TV personality then went on to express the challenges of having her son at the beginning of lockdown.
She added: “He was a lockdown baby, so literally he was born and then ten days later we went into lockdown.
“And so for the next three months no one was allowed in my house, so I was like ‘I don’t know what I’m doing.’
(Image: Instagram)
“I literally remember being like ‘should I phone my health visitor because I’m not qualified,'” she joked.
Nadia then confessed: “I felt so lost and I felt so isolated and there was just no help.
“I mean it is Covid so I’m not blaming anyone, I do get it but it was just so, so hard. Just me and the baby constantly and it was just so tough.”
The blonde bombshell previously spoke to Closer about her pregnancy last year and raising her son independently.
(Image: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images for Wa)
She said: “I’m a single mum and I don’t have someone at home who could take care of my baby if I was unwell.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty, and it does scare me, but I’m trying to be level-headed. I FaceTime friends and family every day, and I’m grateful Ezekiel is blissfully unaware.”
Elsewhere in the interview with Daily Star, Nadia was asked about whether she watched the new series of Channel 4’s Celebs Go Dating that aired earlier this year.
She expressed: “No so I don’t want Celebs Go Dating because I didn’t want to leave and it’s still got my heart.
“I love everybody there – I love Paul and Tom and I love Anna but it’s just too hard because I’m still not over it, if that makes sense.
“But what I am watching is Married At First Sight, which I think is going to get better and better,” she chimed.
Nadia’s new book 101 Tips For Dating After A Pandemic is available to purchase now.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
