Louise Redknapp admits a new romance isn’t her priority after her split from Jamie

Louise Redknapp has admitted that she is ‘still working’ on herself after putting on ‘so much pressure’ to be a ‘certain way’ for 20 years.

Talking in a new candid interview on BBC Morning Live, the singer, 46, also insisted that a new romance isn’t her priority and she isn’t on any dating apps after splitting from ex-husband Jamie, 47, in 2017.

During the interview, Louise was asked by hosts Kym Marsh and Gethin Jones whether she had any advice for people currently going through a break-up.

To which the singer, who was promoting her new book You’ve Got This, admitted she has put ‘pressure’ on herself over the years, she said: ‘I spend a lot of time in the book talking about this. 

‘I called it, You’ve Got This, I dedicated it by saying “to anybody who thinks they may be getting things wrong”. I think it’s the pressure we put on ourselves. 

‘I feel I’ve constantly for 20 odd years put so much pressure on myself to be a certain way and please everyone, not offend, keep on smiling.

‘In the book, I talk about it’s okay to take time for you and I know it’s a bit cliche, everybody says it, but it’s actually harder to do. We all say the words, it’s not sometimes that easy to just be proud of you.

‘It takes a long time to achieve that, I’m still working on it. I think just giving yourself that time and space, no pressure…’

Louise also spoke about her love life during the interview and insisted that finding a new man isn’t the top of her priority.

She said: ‘It has obviously been a long time since I was single, do you know what I find, what I wrote about in the book and what I found, it’s on everybody’s tongue: “Are you with anybody, have you met anybody?”

‘I feel until I’m actually with somebody and say: “Yep, present him, this is him” I feel like everyone is going to think: “Oh, is she okay? Is she not okay?”‘

Louise insisted that she isn’t on any dating apps and that she is happy being single at the moment due to her busy career and raising her two sons Charles, 16, and Beau, 12, who she shares with ex Jamie. 

She continued: ‘I really want to concentrate on what I do and the kids for a while. It’s been really nice to have a bit of time, if Mr Right turns up, I’m not going to bat him away but it’s not at the forefront of my mind.

‘They’re [her two sons] brilliant, they’re with me a lot and they keep me busy. Between that, music, writing, all that stuff, it’s busy!’

Elsewhere during the chat, Louise revealed that she has spoken to her sons about Sarah Everard’s murder and how they can be ‘respectful’ to women.   

Earlier this week Metropolitan Police confirmed human remains found in Ashford, Kent, were those of Sarah, 33, who disappeared while walking home in Clapham on March 3.

Louise said: ‘A lot of women have said what can we do to try and educate our sons as much as possible. I sort of sat my eldest down and said: “What you’ve really got to be aware of it, when you’re with a group of friends, never look intimidating.

‘”If you’ve got hoods up, take them down, just if a woman is walking past, just don’t look intimidating in anyway, go out of your way to not look intimidating.”

‘He’s [Charles, 16] 6ft2, I know he’s a big gentle giant, you kind of just think all we can do is teach our boys and kids, this goes across the board, it’s not just one-sided here, it’s important to just be as respectful as possible just to help.’

It comes after the Heavy Love hitmaker recently revealed her dating woes as she tries to find love again, three years after her split from ex-husband Jamie.

Louise explained in an extract from her book that after speaking to one man she was ghosted, still not receiving a reply after five entire months. 

And while saying that the ‘new world of dating is difficult to navigate’, the star did add that her teenage son Charley, 16, has been giving her some advice. 

Reflecting on her dating woes, Louise explained how she’d been talking to one man for a while but after telling him she was going on a bike ride, the messages stopped.

According to The Sun, Louise wrote: ‘It’s been five months and no reply. I’m just sitting here wondering what was it that I said? Are bike rides that unattractive?

‘Basically, this is a way to say the new world of dating is so opaque and difficult to navigate.’

However she did admit that dating after her divorce means she’s able to learn what she ‘needs and deserves’ from her next partner.

And luckily for Louise, she’s had help from her sons in the dating world with Charley warning her off taking conversations with potential beaus onto Snapchat.

Explaining how she once told the teenager a man she was talking with wanted to swap onto the app, Charley ‘immediately was like ‘Mum, no’, as apparently dates ‘just want to share explicit photos’.

Louise also admitted that whoever she does end up having a relationship with will have to be able to deal with the ‘circus’ and all the attention she gets being famous. 

Meanwhile, the star recently said she was snubbed by many of her celebrity pals after her split from ex husband Jamie – praising Jimmy Carr for standing by her. 

She explained that the comedian, 48, and his long-term partner Karoline Copping were the ‘only’ couple who still invited her to events, saying it ‘meant the world’ when she ‘felt lost and alone’.

In extracts from her new memoir You’ve Got This, Louise also appeared to take a swipe at Jamie as she reflected on her struggles with ‘mum guilt’. 

In her book as published by The Sun, Louise confessed she was ditched by many of her famous pals who felt they had to ‘pick sides’ following their split.

She said many pals would exclude her from occasions she used to attend with Jamie, and credited her close friend Jimmy and his partner Karoline as being ‘the only’ couple who still invite her and her ex-husband to things.

Louise said the couple made it very clear that both she and Jamie would always be invited to any gatherings they hosted. 

She wrote: ‘I don’t think Jimmy will ever know what that meant to me — but in those moments where I felt lost and alone, it meant the world.’ 

Reflecting on the difficulty of losing female friends who she used to be close too, Louise explained that it was ‘hard’ as they had shared ‘countless memories’. 

She said: ‘While they still enjoy their couples’ nights out — birthday parties, Christmas dos, drinks and the like, I’m only invited for coffee.’

Louise also confessed she struggled with watching Jamie attend the wedding Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank in 2018, knowing she’d have attended with the sportsman if they were still married. 

Elsewhere in book You’ve Got This, Louise appeared to make a dig at Jamie over caring for their sons during their 19-year marriage.

The singer, who has sons Charley, 16, and Beau, 12, with the former footballer, said she ‘didn’t remember’ her ex asking if the family would ‘be alright’ when he travelled abroad, while she spent years juggling her career with motherhood. 

She said: ‘When it comes to careers versus family, it is natural for women to feel guilty. I don’t ever remember Jamie packing his bags to go to Vegas for five days and asking if we would be alright.’

Louise also admitted that she felt other mothers were judging her for deciding to split from Jamie, and used to ‘feel really uncomfortable’ being eyed by other parents at the school gates. 

‘I felt like all the ”clipboard mums” were looking at me and judging me for my choices,’ the star added.

Louise and Jamie split in 2017 and divorced in 2018, they share two sons Charley, 16, and Beau, 12.