As a model and fashion influencer, Roxy Horner has taken on multiple glamorous assignments, working with brands from Victoria’s Secret to Max Factor and Coco de Mer, as well as starring in a Duran Duran music video.
However, in her home life the 34-year-old fiancée of the comedian Jack Whitehall faces the same struggles as every other first-time mother.
"My toddler has just got to that stage where she’s having quite horrific tantrums," Roxy tells HELLO! in this exclusive interview. "So that’s really fun!"
Indeed, this morning Roxy is busy "solo parenting" her 22-month-old daughter, Elsie, while Jack, 36, is away filming a TV show in Los Angeles – and it seems that the terrible twos are certainly on their way.
"I’m in the midst of figuring it out," she says. "I try to distract her with: 'Look, there’s a tree.'
"The other day, she had a full meltdown in the high street and neither my mum nor I could do anything for about an hour. We were like: 'Wow.'"
The family, who live in London’s Notting Hill, are soon to be reunited.
"Jack’s flying back for my birthday, which is so sweet," Roxy says. "We’re doing the long-distance thing [for now], so little things like that mean so much."
© GettyThe busy star is now also working to raise awareness of Type 1 diabetes, having been diagnosed with the condition out of the blue in 2021.
"I’d been feeling unwell for some time, but just thought I was being dramatic," she says.
"I was really thirsty, drinking four to eight litres of water in the space of 24 hours and still feeling as if I was gasping. I took a four-litre bottle to bed and got through it most nights."
She tells us that her energy levels were low, she felt sick and even walking around the block was exhausting. "I felt like I was dying," she says.
Seriously concerned about her health, Roxy took herself to A&E, where she was diagnosed.
"It was a massive shock. I was 29 and no one in my family had Type 1 diabetes," she says. "It’s an autoimmune disease and anything can trigger that. I was in hospital for a few days to get my sugar levels in range and learn how to manage it."
Collapse at the Brit Awards
Then came Roxy’s collapse at the Brit Awards, which Jack was hosting.
She recalls: "I was very silly and discharged myself early from hospital, thinking that I could manage this chronic illness and go to an awards ceremony the same day. I collapsed because I’d injected too much insulin before eating a salad, which was potentially deadly."
The episode was terrifying. "I felt dizzy, shaky and sweaty; I woke up on the floor feeling awful. Luckily, I had a friend whose dad had Type 1 diabetes, so he helped me through it. Jack had no idea what was going on, as he was on stage."
© GettyBecoming accustomed to living with the condition was tough. "There were scary days when I couldn’t manage it properly, but I had a lot of support and took time to rest," she says.
Since her collapse, Roxy has used a CGM (continuous glucose monitoring) device by Dexcom that helps track her glucose levels. It’s worn on the arm or stomach as an alternative to finger pricking. "It alerts me when my glucose levels go too high or too low, and even before that.
'"It’s a balancing act all day, every day," she says. "When you leave the house, you think: 'Do I have enough insulin with me? Do I have enough snacks?’ It's that little burden all the time."
When she was pregnant with Elsie, there were further concerns, because expecting a baby as a diabetic meant visiting hospital each week for insulin top-ups.
"If you don’t manage it well, you could affect your baby, so it was a bit scary, but I have a beautiful healthy girl who’s thriving.
"Elsie’s my whole world," she continues. "She loves to make everyone laugh and she’s talking so much already. I love her little personality."
Jack took to fatherhood immediately, Roxy says.
"I had a C-section and couldn’t do much for those first few weeks. He was changing all the nappies. He’s very confident with her; a natural dad."
Wedding plans
Having got engaged in December, the couple are in the midst of planning their wedding.
Have they settled on a location? "I think we have, yes," Roxy says. "I'm very excited. I don’t want to give away too much just yet."
Of course, Elsie will be a flower girl. "I want her to be my little double. She’ll have to run down the aisle."
Roxy says she would elope with Jack now, as she wants "to be his wife already", but the couple are dreaming of a memorable wedding with their friends and family.
"I think we’re going to have to wait a few more months until we can do the big day," she says.
However, the star is pinning her hopes on a summer getaway.
"I hope that when Jack finishes filming, he’s going to whisk me away for some nice bonding time in the sun. That’ll be lovely," she says.
To read the full exclusive interview, pick up the latest issue of HELLO! on sale in the UK on Monday. You can subscribe to HELLO! to get the magazine delivered free to your door every week or purchase the digital edition online via our Apple or Google apps.
