Celebrated TV presenter, radio broadcaster and podcast host Gaby Roslin talks to Joanna Ebsworth about the power of smiling, her mission to put more joy into people’s lives, and why you’re never too old to jump.
Words: Joanna Ebsworth. Images: Holly Wren.
Even as a child, I was a very joyful person. While I was unbelievably shy, I knew I wanted to be a TV presenter from the age of three because television brought me so much joy, and I just wanted to make people smile. I never planned on being a standup comedian, but I would be that person who would do a slapstick fall just to make people laugh. Both my parents used to say laughter is the best medicine, and I quickly worked out how to make people happy.
Despite being so shy, I would often talk to total strangers on the bus. Everyone used to tell me about their lives, and when I got home and told my parents about the things I’d heard, my mum would say, ‘Gaby, it’s going to happen to you all your life.’ And my dad, who was in broadcasting all his life, would say, ‘Don’t worry about it. Just let people talk. The most important thing if you want to be a broadcaster is to listen.’ And I did. I always listened to people, but then I’d crack a joke or say something to make people feel happier afterwards.
You could say my desire to brighten other people’s lives has always been there. That’s why, when people started saying to me that my social media content was always so joyful, I decided I wanted to do a book on the subject. I suppose I was writing Spread the Joy for years, except I wasn’t, if that makes sense, because it’s full of all the things I’ve been practising over the years.
When I got the go-ahead from my publisher, I told them I wanted it to be very colourful, fun and the opposite of neat, so people would want to write in it. Because I’m not tidy, and I like to be able to scribble in a book you’re not supposed to. Anybody who knows me from television and radio knows that I’m naughty with a small ‘n’, and I wanted the book to reflect that.
Spread the Joy came out in hardback after Covid, and that was a very dark time. It feels like everybody still says to me that the timing of the book was perfect back then, and it feels like they’re saying the new paperback edition is perfect for the time we’re living in now. Because the news is often so bleak and so dark, and we all need to try to find some joy in the smallest of things.
When I’m doing one of my radio or TV shows and we come back on air after the news, I always try to remember in the back of my head that maybe one person who is watching or listening might be really affected. I just want to try to help them feel better.
I do think we can make a conscious decision to be more joyful, even during the darkest times. I’ve talked very openly about when both my parents had different forms of cancer, and they were in separate hospitals. I was working as well, and it was horrible. I’d go visit one parent in the morning, then the other, go to work, and then visit one parent and then the other on the way home.
And the one thing I advise everybody if you’re ever going through something like that is to look after yourself. I was going to bed and reading up on health and nutrition, because dad had bowel cancer and mum had lung cancer, so I just thought, ‘Right, I’m going to learn everything I can.’ But I really wasn’t looking after myself as well as I should have.
I stopped going to the gym during that time. I thought, ‘I haven’t got time for that!’ But there were times where I would have a laugh or crack a joke at work or wherever. Then, when people found out what was going on, they would say, ‘How did you do that?’ And I would say, ‘Because having a laugh helped me through.’ And it really did. Everybody goes through really horrific times, and I say in my book that there are no rules to grief. So, if you are able to feel a bit of joy, don’t feel guilty about it.
Bizarrely, I think there’s a lot of guilt surrounding grief. But we need to remember that it’s okay to laugh, it’s okay to cry, and it’s okay to love. Paul O’Grady was one of my closest friends, and I was devastated when he died. I miss him so much, but I remember that we laughed so much at his funeral. There was a thunderstorm, and it felt like he sent it on purpose, so we’d all be slipping in the mud at his graveside. He would have loved that.
Being more joyful arms you with coping mechanisms for life. As well as helping to lift your energy and spirits, I also think it helps to keep you feeling playful. I think many of us suddenly lose our inner child when we become teenagers, along with our ability to jump in puddles and dive into ball pools and get on a swing. And I believe doing simple things like that helps to keep us young, whether we’re 18, 45, 72 or 98.
The biggest problem, I think, is we seem to become so worried about what other people will think. But the thing is this: other people don’t really care as they’re more worried about themselves – so don’t think about it. It’s the same with bullies. When bullies aren’t very nice to you, it’s not about you, it’s about them. So, focus instead on regaining your own playfulness and being in the moment.
Jumping always helps me to be in the moment and feel happier. I even do it in the street! I was going for a really big TV show meeting yesterday, and just before I went in, I jumped in the air. The man outside said, ‘Oh my God, Gaby, you’re crazy!’ And I said, ‘Yep!’ But the jump made me feel good, and it lifted my energy. I got him to jump as well, and we both laughed afterwards.
In my book, I provide Tiny Tasks to help create pockets of joy in your day, and if you’re able to jump, I suggest jumping once near the front door before you leave, then jumping again with your arms in the air, and then jumping a third time with your arms in the air and a smile on your face. Then leave. I promise it will make you feel great before you leave the house, and if you can do it outside, even better. Because there’s scientific evidence to prove that smiling triggers something in the brain to think everything’s better.
I think everyone is too obsessed with age now, especially in women. I find it really bizarre, because the media always prints a woman’s age, but they never print a man’s age. Just stop it! I want people to write that I’m 33 every birthday, because my age is just a number and it’s ridiculous. I always say everybody is entitled to do whatever they want, so if somebody wants to put stuff in their face or have a bottom lift, then go for it.
Do whatever makes you happy! But also, look after yourself, and not just on the outside – because you’ve got to look after yourself on the inside too. I go on about it a lot, but I do think being more joyful makes you feel more hopeful, more positive, more youthful, and more energetic. And those things are key for a more fulfilled life.
Health is my passion, and I’ve been studying it for nearly 30 years. Everybody used to say I should do a course on it, but I don’t need letters after my name. I love reading books about health at bedtime and prefer to take a very holistic approach – I’ve had acupuncture before and so has my husband. But I always say if you’re worried or scared about something, please go to the doctor and get checked out. Early detection is everything, and it’s important to see your doctor alongside using other remedies.
I’m so pleased that everybody’s now going on about gut health. Someone pointed out to me recently that I was talking about gut health and cutting out sugar and ultra-processed foods back in the late ’90s, long before anyone else was talking about it. I’ve been banging on about it for years because it’s so important for our mental health. I take a gut health supplement called Symprove every single morning, which I swear by, and I try to eat a huge variety of fruit and vegetables every day. I’m also very against pesticides and wish organic food was cheaper so more people could enjoy it. That being said, I’m no saint, and I love ice cream!
If you’re able to move, please do get outside and walk. I walked eight miles today, and I called loads of my friends or left them voice notes saying, ‘Get off your phones, go outside, and look up.’ Obviously, I love listening to podcasts and music while walking, but it’s also really important to listen to the birds, look at the sky, and smell what’s going on around you. (Get more out of your walk and avoid injury with our pre- and post-walk stretches!)
I’ve also got a local gym that I love going to, and I have weights and a bright purple yoga mat in my bedroom. If I have 20 minutes spare, I’ll go on YouTube and do a HIIT workout with weights. Because, as we all know, it’s important to lift weights as you get older, especially for women. We’re also learning it’s really good for staving off dementia, which is another reason why I do it.
I really do love all of my jobs. I’m very lucky to still be working in television on the BBC’s Morning Live show and, in addition to my Magic Radio breakfast show on Saturday mornings, I’m doing a new radio show for the BBC on Sunday afternoons called Make A Difference, where we learn about the most incredible people and unsung community heroes doing amazing things all over the UK.
We’ve already had some big stars on – Ed Sheeran came on the first show to talk to people young and old about the things they’re doing to spread hope; it’s lovely to be able to show that hope is still alive and well at a time when some people might feel things are a little bit hopeless. Oh, and I still get to do my Reasons to Be Joyful podcast as well, which is really fun. Honestly, I pinch myself all the time!
Spread the Joy: Make Every Day Brighter by Gaby Roslin is out now in paperback (£9.99, HarperCollins). Follow Gaby at @GabyRoslin.
