By Christine Smith 17/01/2010
The Secret Diary Of A Call Girl star, 27, on the new series of the show, how she’s loving being a mum, and losing that baby weight (amazingly quickly)…
Billie Piper has come a long way since those all-day benders with ex-hubby Chris Evans. Arriving for our interview today at London’s trendy Covent Garden Hotel, she is in high spirits and boasting that trademark wide-mouthed smile. She insists on playing hostess and pours drinks as we settle down on the sofa for a candid chat.
The mum – to 15-month-old Winston – looks incredible, dressed in a black figure-hugging jumper dress, leggings and high-heeled boots which show off the tiny pre-baby frame she regained in just six weeks.
There’s no denying Billie seems to have found what she was looking for on her rocky journey from wild child to wife and mother. She freely admits to a life lived in the fast lane. From finding fame as a teenage pop star, marrying Chris Evans (she was 19, he was 35), divorcing him, moving from pop music to acting after landing a role in Doctor Who, dating a man who loved ‘tantric sex’ then finding love with a fellow actor, Billie’s choice of career and men has sometimes courted controversy.
But since meeting Laurence Fox – of the Fox acting dynasty – and the birth of Winston, life is now on an even keel. And it’s motherhood, she confides, that has made her realise her priorities.
‘I am definitely at my happiest when I am with Winston,’ the 27-year-old confesses. ‘I love being a mum so much and I don’t want to sound too gushy, but now you really feel you have a purpose in life. You are not just walking around aimlessly thinking selfishly and you make much more of your days when you have a child.’ She pauses, and then adds, ‘I even wonder what we actually did every day before we had Winston.’
She also admits Winston is already showing signs he’s inherited her strong, independent streak. She did, after all, leave home at the age of 14 to become a pop star, and run off to Las Vegas at 19 to marry Chris Evans, who has also recently married and become a dad again .
‘Winston’s first word was “No”. Can you believe it?’ she chuckles. ‘He hasn’t even said “Daddy” yet. I feel like we have our work cut out already and he definitely understands what he is doing!’
Curled up on the sofa as we chat, the great thing about Billie is she tells it like it is. She’s frank about her concerns for Winston in the future.
‘I can’t ever imagine letting him walk down to the end of the road on his own when he is older,’ she says. ‘The thought of that just makes me want to throw up. I want to put him in a padded room and mollycoddle him.’
Another thing she doesn’t relish is toddler tantrums. ‘It’s just so embarrassing when you are out in public,’ she says, still giggling. ‘I was in a restaurant the other day and Winston was throwing food all over the place and letting rip. I could feel myself trying to be calm, but everyone was staring and all I wanted to do was ask them to ignore me.’
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Clearly content, Billie – who is set to return to our TV screens shortly as high-class prostitute Belle de Jour – admits life would be far more tricky if her own mum wasn’t up for babysitting duty.
‘I am fortunate in the sense I do still go out to work and there is a part of “me” that still exists,’ she confides. ‘I haven’t just handed my life over to my son. Laurence and I had planned to take on projects at different times, so one of us could stay at home, but we have failed on that one. It’s lucky my mum is around, and then everyone is happy. That said, the minute you have a child you’ve never known guilt like it. You’re rushing around trying not to feel guilty, but it’s difficult.’
And Billie reveals motherhood and her desire to spend time watching her son grow up has triggered thoughts of a career behind the camera rather than in front.
‘I have got used to leading a certain pace of life, which is addictive,’ she says. ‘But I also don’t want to take on too much. I don’t want to be away filming when my children are older. I’d quite like to write a comedy or produce a TV drama.’
So is she getting broody again? ‘The bonus of having children younger means I can have two close together, then leave it a while and have a third child,’ she says. ‘That’s what I’d like to do. But when people say, “It’ll be a breeze with your next child”, I can’t imagine how two could be easy. You’re still up all night feeding.’
She married Laurence two years ago on New Year’s Eve and admits ‘having a child does test your relationship’. ‘It is amazing, but there is a lot of tiredness too and you can say vicious things you don’t mean. Your hormones are all over the place. We still go out… but we never take any pictures of each other any more. It is always one of us with Winston!’
It’s easy to see why Billie is liked by both men and women. A woman’s woman who is happy to gossip and have a good girlie chat about babies and fellas, she also exudes plenty of sex appeal. She may laugh at the compliment, but is proud of shedding her baby weight in just six weeks for the third series of Secret Diary Of A Call Girl.
‘I was contractually obliged to do a third series and I had to get in shape quite quickly,’ she explains. ‘After you have a kid… it feels like your only treat is eating. You can‘t go out or dance your arse off, so you stay at home and stuff yourself with a cake!’
Her regime involved ‘cutting down on portions’ and running on a treadmill (bought by the TV production company) every day. Ironically, in Call Girl, her favourite scenes involved ‘sploshing’ – sex while playing with food.
‘The series is naughty and suggestive and I loved it! We combine food with sex,’ she giggles. ‘It is shocking at times, but it was fun to film. We threw food at one another and had beans poured down our knickers. I am also forced into an enormous birthday cake. Surprisingly I wasn’t embarrassed by the scenes... but as a mum, there were moments when I’d ask myself what I was doing as I filmed a scene rolling around a bed.’
Billie may have been led astray in the past – and attracted unwanted media attention – but, these days, she’s one Piper calling the tunes and enjoying the fame roles like Belle de Jour attract. ‘Life really is great though and I am so happy…’ And there goes that smile again.
Secret Diary Of A Call Girl returns to ITV2 on 28 January
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