Denise Van Outen has opened up about getting her freedom back at 52 now that her daughter Betsy is older after suffering from ‘mum’ guilt.
The DJ and television presenter, 52, welcomed her daughter in 2010 with her ex-husband, West End star and Any Dream Will Do winner Lee Mead.
The couple married in 2009 before later separating in 2013 due to gruelling work schedules, long-distance strain, and growing apart.
Despite ‘brilliantly’ co-parenting their daughter, Denise admitted that she had done a lot of the parenting on her own, which has been ‘really challenging at times’.
But now that Betsy is 16, the star revealed a sense of newfound freedom as her daughter becomes more independent.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, Denise said: ‘I just turned 52, and I think you just get to an age where I think most of my focus has been on my daughter for quite a long time.
Denise Van Outen has opened up about getting her freedom back at 52 now that her daughter Betsy is older after suffering from ‘mum’ guilt
The DJ and television presenter, 52, welcomed her daughter in 2010 with her ex-husband, West End star and Any Dream Will Do winner Lee Mead
‘She’s just turned 16, she’s only just got to an age where I sort of give her a little bit more slack, and she’s really independent in certain areas of her life.
‘I think that brings with it a bit of peace and a bit of, you know, I can sort of relax a little bit, because anyone who’s got children and has had kids would relate to the fact that it’s a constant worry.
‘So I think my concerns have been more about raising my daughter well and keeping her safe.
‘And I think now she’s just a little bit older, and I kind of stepped back a little bit. So I think this is actually a really nice age.
‘I feel like you get your freedom back a little bit. You get a bit of a second wind.
‘When I used to leave the house to go to work, I mean, I remember when Betsy was four, and I’d feel terrible the minute I left the house because she’d be crying at the door, going, “please don’t go to work, mummy”.
‘I’d leave, and then my mum would help look after her, and she’d say, “she’s fine now,” the minute you close the door.
‘But I could then go on a work trip or be away for like a night or two nights, feeling so guilty.
‘Whereas now she’s 16, she’s happy to see the back of me. She’s like, “come on, off you go.”‘
Elsewhere, Denise is returning as Marella Cruises’ Chief Chill-Out Officer to encourage Brits to truly lean into laziness while on holiday.
New research has revealed that 80 percent of Brits feel guilty about things they really shouldn’t – including taking time to properly relax.
Denise is helping the nation embrace guilt-free downtime and make relaxation a priority.
When asked why she wanted to get involved in the campaign for a 2nd year, she said: ‘It’s nice to do something a little bit different in my career.
‘It’s basically my job to help passengers on board to lean into being lazy and just have a really nice holiday experience.
‘So, it’s all about making sure that the passengers, from the minute they actually book their trip, don’t have to worry about anything, and everything is taken care of.’
Elsewhere, Denise is returning as Marella Cruises’ Chief Chill-Out Officer to encourage Brits to truly lean into laziness while on holiday
Is “mum guilt” holding parents back from truly enjoying life as their kids grow more independent?
To help guests embrace guilt-free downtime, Marella Cruises has launched the world-first PJkini – a stylish hybrid outfit that takes holidaymakers seamlessly from cabin to pool to restaurant, eliminating decision fatigue and making relaxation effortless.
‘It’s just basically an outfit that allows you to just completely relax but still look stylish, so you can walk around the ship and not feel self-conscious, you know,’ she explained.
‘When we created it together, the team, we were like, let’s make sure, we don’t want anything that’s too revealing and it needs to be comfortable.
‘So it’s obviously that nice fabric that if it gets wet, it dries nice and quickly.’
With such a busy career, Denise ensures she makes time for herself to relax.
‘I’m more careful about planning having breaks cos I’ve actually realised the value in sitting away from everything and doing nothing.
‘And the value of a holiday and actually taking time out is just a great mental reset and physical reset.
‘I sometimes don’t always realise how busy you’ve been until you stop. I think that’s the thing, that happens with me quite a lot.’
As returning Chief Chill-Out Officer, Denise is back to inspire cruise-curious travellers to adopt lazy hacks and embrace the Marella Cruises lifestyle.
Discover the world’s first PJkini and more ways to embrace guilt-free relaxation by visiting www.tui.co.uk/cruise/.
