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  • About Me
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    • Life
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Tagged opinion piece

Home
opinion piece
palm trees

How Can Anyone Deny Michael Jackson’s Abuse?

March 11, 2019
My view.
pink sunset over the sea in Cannes

A Season, A Reason, A Lifetime

January 14, 2019
A post, primarily on friendship.
hot air balloons

The End of People-Pleasing

January 5, 2019
The end of an era.

About me

Vicki Psarias (Honest Mum)

Hi, I’m Vicki, mum of two, blogger, vlogger, author and former filmmaker and TV director.

I recently won Inspirational Role Model of the Year at the MPower Awards as well as Best Baby and Parenting Blog for Honest Mum, at the UK Blog Awards 2019. Ooh la la!

I often pop up on TV as both a presenter and parenting expert (regularly appearing on BBC News and ITV) and I’ve spoken about maternal rights and flexible working, as well as perinatal mental health in the House of Commons.

Highlights have been interviewing superstar actress Kim Cattrall and pop group, Westlife and you can watch the videos on the sidebar of this blog.

If you’d like to work with me or for any press enquiries, please contact my Manager, Jack Freud at jackf@ippublicity.com or my Assistant Manager, Spencer Johnston at spencer@ippublicity.com.

You can read more about me here.

My TV and Campaign Showreel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjNU277Pje4

Lets Get Social

  • 41,639 Followers
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My Interview with Kim Cattrall

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf7gFTn7dnc

… And Westlife

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCJE7KJwEvA&t=1s

I Feature on BBC World News to 100,000 000

https://youtu.be/UdwJpJNBLZo

Order My MumBoss Book

Order my #1 bestselling book #Mumboss HERE. My debut book is my guide to surviving and thriving at work and at home and offers insight into how to create a digital business, or return to work with greater confidence.

'Mumboss' by Vicki Psarias - book cover

‘Ideal for… going back to work without losing your mind. TV director and filmmaker Psarias founded her blog Honestmum.com while she was on maternity leave, following a particularly traumatic birth. Mumboss is her no-nonsense guide to navigating the tough back-to-work transition.’

— Book review from Marie Claire UK.

Honest mum was given a full Windsor display in Waterstones Windsor

Subscribe to Honest Mum

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Featured / Written For

S Seen In / Written For: Good Morning Britain, Red Magazine, British Vogue, The Daily Mail’s Femail, Fabulous Magazine, The Sun, The Telegraph, The Guardian, Grazia, The Independent, Lorraine, Sky News, BBC Breakfast, Closer magazine, Channel 5 News, This Morning, E! News, BBC World Service, Huffpost

@honestmum on Instagram

Instagram post 2159108282802688582_537862275 What a deeply moving, inspiring and candid documentary about Harry and Meghan @sussexroyal that was. ‘I never thought it would be easy, but I thought it would be fair’. I cried at Meghan’s words, and several times during the piece as Harry spoke of his own struggles with mental health and grief, and when he followed his mother Diana’s footsteps later. This family deserve to truly live not merely survive. It’s rare to witness something as searingly honest and vulnerable as this about the royals. The love this couple have for one another and their baby, and their commitment to helping others was evident throughout. The right wing press need to leave them alone, they are guilty of racism and jealousy spearheading a dangerous hate campaign from day 1. Anyone consuming the BS is complicit.
Instagram post 2157490161482256859_537862275 This brought me to tears. It’s hard enough to go through pregnancy, birth and a newborn without having to endure bullying and harassment. Meghan is so courageous for speaking up and being honest, thank you @sussexroyal. The vitriol must stop. I’ve only experienced a smidgen of trolling and abuse compared to her and my heart goes out to Meghan and Harry. {Posted @withrepost • @itvnews 'Not many people have asked if I’m ok... it’s a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes.' Meghan reveals to ITV’s @tom.bradby the intense media spotlight has left her struggling to cope while becoming a mum #HarryAndMeghan}
Instagram post 2156794581135192609_537862275 I feel honoured that the incredible @katiepiper_ interviewed me for her podcast last night in front of a live audience at the @meatlessfarm HQ in my hometown of Leeds. We discussed trauma, motherhood and eating more plants. It was part of a collaboration with @meatlessfarm whose delicious meatless burgers, sausages and mince are a family-favourite. Did you know that if you swap one more red meat-based meal to a plant-based alternative each week, it's the equivalent of taking 16 million cars off the road in a year? Please consider it... What a moving and inspiring evening. The podcast is out next week so please do give it a listen! #meatlessfarm #meatfreenottastefree #maketheswap #ad
Instagram post 2155998717622060699_537862275 Friends reunited 👯‍♀️! Back with one of my besties, incredible Casting Director @nicci_topping, in my hometown of Leeds. Filming something special later ⚡️⚡️⚡️! Feels good to be home! Thanks to @honestgrandma for the delicious lunch at her and Papa G’s gorge Italian restaurant @giorgiositalian 🇮🇹 (weird to write #ad #gift for my parent’s food as they’ve been feeding me forevs but don’t want to break any rules 🤣🤣🤣). The real #gift is my family and friends ❤️❤️❤️
Instagram post 2154716747864204500_537862275 Not been back to Leeds for 6 months or more and I’m home twice in 2 weeks soon. Back later on this week for an exciting project then I’ve got another book tour date in for my Yorkshire beauts on Nov 6th as I’ve been invited to speak at the brilliant @yorksinstameet which will be held at the spectacular @castle_howard 👑. Thanks for asking me @peonyandgrace, I’m so excited! Link in the bio to buy your tickets ⚡️⚡️⚡️#yorkinstameet
Instagram post 2153975397116348849_537862275 ⚡️⚡️⚡️’The best kind of friendships are fierce lady friendships where you aggressively believe in each other, defend each other, and think the other deserves the world’ ⚡️⚡️⚡️. I can’t find the source of that quote but what an absolute queen 👑, right! It sums up exactly how I feel about my girls (and my 3 male friends 🤣) including one of my newest pals, the smart, funny, warm and gorge fellow Yorkshire lass @drlarisacorda who I only met 2 weeks ago but clicked with straight away. If it had been a ‘cute-meet’ in a movie, we’d have been married by now 💍! We went for dinner and drinks as part of my Creative Women’s Network night out (swipe right here 👉for the photo of us with my beaut @babesabouttown who is a sister to me), stayed up until the early hours chatting, spent the whole of the next day messaging one another and arranged a girlie day of cocktails and hallumi salad @pubroyalwindsor for the following weekend (thanks to Kez for looking after us and for tolerating me moving ALL of the plant pots and the bike for this shot- the Gram made me do it🤣). And, you know what, in all honesty, I met Larisa when I didn’t think there was any room for more mates in my life but I was wrong. A bit like the phrase, ‘the more kids you have, the love keeps multiplying’ @babesabouttown wisely reminded me of before Alexander came along, the same applies with pals. I’m lucky that some of my oldest friends are my best friends and I have the most wonderful mates spanning from my school days to uni, my TV directing life to now blogging-and not forgetting via mum-ming life (had some shocking mum-dates to be fair where I quickly discovered a shared use of our uterus doesn’t mean shared values or an instant bond) and I’ve been more cautious about boundaries and letting people in lately. Despite this, along with Larisa, I made two more new friends with beauties @dawnharlow11 and @mita_tannaloi who felt like old friends the minute we met. 3 new friendships in 7 days. I feel like the Craig David of the sisterhood! Seriously, thanks for all the laughter, wisdom and putting the world to rights. I’m so glad there are women like you in the world 🌍
Instagram post 2153273884245051691_537862275 This was taken 2 years ago (hair is full of highlights now) but popped up on FB Memories (best thing about FB right?!) and is giving me Halloween Beetlejuice style inspo with this striped RIver Island jacket and faux leather skirt (remember styling me for that Julian Macdonald party we attended @ljstyling?) I actually sorted my wardrobe out this morning bagging up pieces for charity and storing away summer clothes (rain was fittingly pelting down as I did this). Love a/w: midi dresses, tights, chunky knits, skinny jeans, teddy bear coats and my ultimate fave: onesies. Hit me with your suggestions of where you’ve seen cute onesies please as I want to get matching ones for all the family. Husband will kill me 🤣
Instagram post 2151644958011841127_537862275 Did you catch me on @itvnews earlier discussing childhood obesity with Duncan Stephenson, Deputy Chief Executive Royal Society for Public Health @rspublichealth? Summarised below and will share the clip when I can. {Thank you to @phaseeight for my gorgeous dress, @the.jewellery.makers for my pretty earring my big hair is covering (soz) and @ljstyling for styling me #gift #ad} Obesity rates have doubled among children in the last 30 years, with one in three children ending primary school overweight or obese. Health Secretary Matt Hancock asked Dame Sally to come up with proposals to achieve a halving of childhood obesity by 2030. On Thursday she said the country is “nowhere near” meeting such ambitions, saying it has become “the new normal” for children to suffer weight-related diseases which could cut short their lives. The recommendations to increase taxes on unhealthy foods put her at odds with Boris Johnson, who has made clear his opposition to “sin taxes” – levies on goods which are high in sugar, salt or fat. The review warns there are 1.2 million obese children in England, with excess weight responsible for up to 120,000 cases of childhood asthma and 650,000 of fatty liver disease. Pizza and crisp sizes have increased by 50 per cent in the last 30 years, and on average, junk food is three times cheaper than healthy meals, the report says. Professor Russell Viner, President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: “The report rightly challenges the food industry and government to step up and accept responsibility for its role in the obesity epidemic.” 0 or 30 years ago. Research suggests the number of fast-food outlets in England grew by 4,000 between 2014 and 2017, with 1,800 schools having at least 10 such retailers within a 400-metre radius. The Country’s Chief Medical Office also stated that eating or drinking on trains and buses should be banned, in a bid to end Britain’s “mindless” snack culture. I’m not sure how that would be monitored but agree that limiting fast food shops in close proximity to schools coupled with more widespread levying of high salt and sugar based foods would benefit children.
Instagram post 2151127490839444866_537862275 Eldest son, 9, asked me if I’ve ever had mental health problems on the school-run this morning so I explained gently that I suffered a traumatic birth when he was born, making it clear it wasn’t his fault and how loved he was/is. At the end he looked into my eyes and said, ‘Oh Mummy, what a sad story’. Important to be honest in an age-appropriate way and to normalise mental health so he will always (hopefully) speak to me and others with any of his own problems. Vital to normalise and naturalise mental health and place equal validity to it as physical health.
Instagram post 2149991489882428430_537862275 ‘Be the light’ ⚡️⚡️⚡️. FB reminded me of this photo from 2 years ago (I might have to start posing in front of my neighbours’ door again 🤪) and it’s stirred up some mixed memories. I remember laughing here because Xander wanted to do the OTHER peace sign so was concentrating hard but there was so much sadness too 🙈😂. On reflection, I was a completely different girl back then. I’d recently lost my second mum, my young auntie Zak to cancer as she went from seemingly well to gone in just four months and I’d been the victim of a libellous hate campaign by a YouTuber who decided to spread lies about me. It was a tough time to say the least. So much has happened since then. A big thyroid op which took over a year to recover from (doctors discovered a 6 inch nodule was compressing my windpipe winding me constantly at night and for years pre op-couldn’t swallow and still had breathing issues for a year post op), a move, new management, new career goals met, a book out, a book tour completed, upheaval, new dreams stirred, magical memories made in South Africa, the list goes on. The last 5 months have also seen me undertake a life-changing course of therapy that has helped me to become calmer, stronger and more content than before. I’ve realised how resilient I am. I’ve learnt to lean on myself and no longer feel I have anything to prove to others because my worth is non-negotiable. I’ve worked hard on harnessing self-love, self-respect and applying strict boundaries (we people-pleasers struggle with ‘no’ but I’m getting better with it). I used to want to be everyone’s best friend, now I keep my circle tight and always trust my gut. Some people need to be loved from a distance as the saying goes...Therapy completely rewired the way I think. I’ve unlearned the negative voices and changed irrevocably...We’re constantly evolving aren’t we? I definitely feel I’m the light now and I’m kind to myself when I don’t always feel like the light. I go gently with myself now. If you’re considering therapy, I can’t recommend it enough (it was also transformative after my first traumatic birth, too). Peace ✌️ (I’ll blog about therapy in more detail at honestmum.com later) ❤️
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