"Balancing Kids and Marriage Can Be Chaotic: Pixie Lott Opens Up About Relationship Struggles"

WHEN Pixie Lott imagined life as a mum, she thought it would naturally bring her and husband Oliver Cheshire even closer.

And while in many ways it has strengthened their bond, the chart-topping star admits there’s one unexpected shift that’s changed their dynamic.

Pixie Lott admits she struggles to carve out time for romance when life with her two little ones is so hectic Credit: Louis Wood Pixie and male model Oliver Cheshire tied the knot in 2022 Credit: Getty

With two sons under the age of three, , 35, says that life has become a “big juggle” and date nights with male model , 37, have slipped way down the priority list.

And that can be a struggle for the star, who is mum to Bertie, two, and – whose name she is yet to reveal – last October.

She explains: “I guess [date nights] aren’t really the priority right now, but I think we have to try and squeeze that in, because it’s important.

“It’s just finding the time. Life gets so chaotic. I try my hardest to tick all these boxes and I think it’s hard to get the perfect balance.”

is right to be concerned, as a 2024 study by the Marriage Foundation claimed that going on date nights “could save tens of thousands of relationships”, reducing the likelihood of family breakdown by 20 per cent.

The same report found that couples who made time for one another away from the kids were happier, with almost three-quarters (72 per cent) of the happiest couples going on date nights compared to just over half (53 per cent) of the unhappiest couples.

But it is hardly surprising Pixie struggles to carve out time for romance when life with her two little ones is so hectic.

She says: “Bertie is at that age of the terrible twos, with the tantrums.

They don’t have their words yet and they get frustrated – you know, if their blueberries are cut in a certain way.

“You just have to remember that it passes and they are so little for such a short time.

“But it’s also really full on. Juggling everything with a baby, and with a toddler running around, you don’t have much sleep and you just feel like you’re splitting yourself in two.

“You just want to be the best mum you can be and want to make them both happy. And then there is your relationship, family, friends and work… you have to make room for all this other stuff.

“It definitely gets messy – literally in the house and in life – and as a mum you have all these boxes to tick and different sections blurring into each other.”

Despite the juggle, Pixie, who celebrates her fourth wedding anniversary next month, says she’d happily expand her brood and insists she has no preference when it comes to having more boys or girls.

Pixie is mum to Bertie, two, and a second son – whose name she is yet to reveal Credit: Instagram / pixielott Pixie is now teaming up with McDonald’s to highlight the work of the Ronald McDonald House Charities UK Credit: Supplied

“I just love family and I want to carry on this family journey we have started,” she says. “I would love to have more if possible.

“I’m so close to my own family, my mum and dad help us out a lot and I’m close to my brother and sister. I want my children to have what I have.”

The Mama Do singer adds: “Having brothers for each other is great, having sisters for each other is great. You do get asked as a boy mum, if you want a girl, but I just want happy babies.

“It doesn’t matter to me. I just feel like whatever’s meant to be.”

Pixie admits she feels a responsibility to raise sons who grow up to be respectful, kind and grounded, particularly in an age where toxic online male influences are impossible to ignore.

She says: “You want them to be the best people that they possibly can be.
“They say children copy their parents, so I’m always trying to do whatever is the best thing possible, and they have brilliant role models in their dad and grandads too.

“You teach them what is right and wrong and you are generous with your time and love, but it’s also having the boundaries in place. It’s a combination of everything and you have to try your best.”

Pixie knew she was expecting boys during , but chose not to “tell anyone else”.

As a mum you have all these boxes to tick and different sections blurring into each other, admits Pixie Credit: pixielott/Instagram Pixie, who celebrates her fourth wedding anniversary next month, says she’d happily expand her brood Credit: Getty

She adds that watching her sons meet for the first time was an emotional moment she’ll never forget.

“At the start Bert was a bit like, ‘What? Is this baby here to stay?’ But now we’re seven months in and he’s so lovely with him.

“He cuddles and kisses his brother and tells him he loves him. It’s really sweet.

“They will obviously go through a stage where there’ll be play-fighting. Boys are so active and I feel like there’s always some sort of running into a wall, banging a head or an elbow – there’s always something every day.

“But I can’t wait to see them grow up together.”

And while Pixie admits life is “messy”, she’s proving you really can balance with a thriving career.

The singer recently released a new single, Good Wife, and after being in the industry since the age of 15, she has no plans to slow down any time soon. In fact, she wants to do even more.

She says: “I love the entertainment and arts world, so I wouldn’t want to do anything that ventures too far out of it. I’m still very much loving my music.”

After making her acting debut in Fred: The Movie in 2010, Pixie says she would “definitely” love to do more film work, as well as more TV projects.

The star enjoyed a six-year stint as a coach on alongside , and tells us she has no doubt her friend will shine as the new host of .

“I loved my time on Strictly and I know Emma will be amazing,” says Pixie, who reached the quarter-finals of the dance contest in 2014.

“I think she’ll be brilliant. She’s so beautiful and fabulous. I know she’s going to be great.”

As part of the campaign, Pixie has recorded I’m Gonna Be (79 Miles), a reworked version of the Proclaimers classic Credit: Supplied The charity is a topic close to the Mama Do singer’s heart Credit: Supplied The campaign brings back memories of Pixie’s brother’s hospital treatment Credit: Supplied

Pixie is now teaming up with McDonald’s to highlight the work of the Ronald McDonald House Charities UK, which supports families with a seriously ill or injured child in hospital.

The campaign is particularly close to Pixie’s heart as it brings back memories of watching her brother, Stephen, endure years of hospital treatment after being diagnosed with Perthes disease aged 12.

The rare hip condition required major surgery, bone grafts and months in a wheelchair, leaving a lasting impact on the whole family.

She says: “Growing up it was really challenging in and out of hospital.

“My brother had a major operation where he was in a cast from his chest right down to the bottom of his leg on one side, and to his knee on the other side, with a bar in the middle.

“It meant my mum and dad could pick him up and he had this big, long skateboard so he could get around on the floor.

“I remember it really clearly and how it affected our family, but he’s completely through it now and thriving. He’s run marathons.”

As part of the campaign, Pixie – alongside several inspirational families supported by the charity – has recorded I’m Gonna Be (79 Miles), a reworked version of the Proclaimers classic, to highlight the average distance families must travel to be by their child’s hospital bedside.

“It felt like the perfect song to talk about distance and families and love,” she says. “It was amazing to meet the families and collaborate on the song. It’s initiatives like this, where family is at the heart of it, that really do mean a lot.”

• Pixie Lott, in partnership with McDonald’s, recorded I’m Gonna Be (79 Miles), a reimagining of The Proclaimers’ iconic track to highlight the average distance families supported by Ronald McDonald House UK will travel to be with their seriously ill or injured child in hospital.