Former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq has admitted she pressured her husband Charlie Brooker to get married and have babies early in their relationship.
The children’s TV presenter and author, 47, said she had given the Black Mirror creator, 51, an ultimatum so that neither of them waste their time with each other.
Luckily for Konnie, the initial work worked. The couple met and married in nine months and now share sons Covey, 10, and Huxley, eight.
‘I was in my thirties and my biological clock was ticking’: Konnie Huq, now 47, revealed in a podcast this week that she pressured Charlie Brooker to get married and have babies (pictured together in June)
They married in Las Vegas in July 2010.
Speaking on Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Spinning Plates podcast this week, Konnie said she had always wanted to have children and was worried that Charlie might not feel the same way, so the conversation and the breakdown of the deal immediately burst.
“I always wanted to have kids…I always thought I was going to have three kids, and then I had two and I was like, ‘I’m done now,'” she began.
Family: Luckily for Konnie, her efforts paid off. The couple met and married within nine months and now share sons Covey, 10, and Huxley, eight, together (pictured July 2019)
“But weirdly, Charlie didn’t think he ever wanted kids. So when we got together, I was like, ‘If you’re not the type to have kids, we’re not compatible.’ But it turns out he was.
“But he’s really good with kids, which you might not think because of his miserable alter ego, but Charlie is a lamb in wolf’s clothing.”
Speaking about getting married so soon after meeting, Konnie said that at the time her “biological clock was ticking”.
“I was in my 30s and when you’re in your 30s with your biological clock ticking, you kind of think, ‘I don’t want to be in another relationship without it going nowhere,'” he said. she declared.
“So yeah, pretty quickly it was my way or the highway, which is good because then you know if someone might be engaged.”
“Charlie didn’t think he ever wanted kids. So when we got together, I was like, ‘If you’re not the type to have kids, we’re not compatible.’
She added that despite the pressure put on Charlie, if he had given in, she would have known he was not for her.
‘I was literally like, ‘There’s no point in us being together unless you’re sure you want to have kids and pretty soon too.’ was not the right person.’
She has already spoken about the subject on Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe Podcast Parenting Hell that one day Charlie just changed his mind about having kids.
“He didn’t want kids but he hadn’t met the right person and that all changed. I said, “I’m not really interested unless I’m about to have kids.”
‘And so…he obviously saw the genetic makeup that I had and thought ‘that wouldn’t be good!’ I don’t know, he just sort of changed his mind.
The children’s TV presenter has revealed the quality that drew her to Charlie and why she barely uses the internet.
Konnie said: ‘I don’t have an Amazon account, an Uber, a Deliveroo…nothing. I’m not even on Facebook, I’m an old-school person.
“That’s one thing that drew me to Charlie, a guy who’s good at talking on the phone is a pretty rare thing, and Charlie is really good at having a phone conversation.
“I am anti-consumerism. I don’t buy anything. Me and Charlie yin and yang there fine.
‘I always say I’m really analog and Charlie is really digital. My eldest is digital and my youngest is analog.
She expanded on her digital versus analog comparison and added: “The eldest is like his dad…he likes to tinker with gadgets.” The youngest likes to go out and be social. He’s a classic boy.
It worked ! She previously spoke about the topic on Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe’s Parenting Hell podcast that one day Charlie just changed his mind about having kids.