Jamie Laing thought ‘divorce was an option’ before marrying Sophie Habboo

Little did I know that my terrible posture would dramatically improve after watching the first episode of Raising Chelsea, the documentary following reality TV stalwarts-turned-power couple Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo as they prepare for parenthood.

Days later, nips fully engaged (all three of ‘em, no less), back poker straight, head held high, I confidently stride into my junket interview and tell Jamie to thank his mother for me.

‘She’s honestly a genius.

I try to do that too,’ Jamie says, with a flash of his impish grin.

Wife Sophie chips in: ‘I’m now sticking my nipples out!’
‘Sophie and I had [already] captured so much of our lives, and then we were going into this next stage.

I thought, wouldn’t it be great if we documented this and showed the ups and downs, lefts and rights, the anxieties that you feel about becoming a parent, the love that you feel, all those things, but in a real way,’ Jamie, 37, the human equivalent of a labrador, says.

Sophie, 31, adds: ‘[MIC] is amazing TV, but it is constructed reality.

You’re given a call time and [told] what to wear and what the scene is.

‘Whereas this, the cameras were with us, pretty much, 24/7, it really was fly-on-the-wall.

No producing.

At first, I said, “So, when is the producer going to come and tell us what to do?”’
To describe the three-parter, delivered by streamer Disney Plus, as a (ahem) labour of love is an understatement.

Nothing was off the table, from the bumps and barneys along the way, to the intimate birth of their bundle of joy.

That decision to invite viewers into the hospital room came later, mind.

‘It was [initially] agreed that we weren’t going to film that because I just wanted it to be a private moment.

But what actually happened was, our anaesthetist took our phone and videoed the whole thing,’ Sophie says.

Doting hubby Jamie gushes: ‘We look really in love [in the footage].

It’s a raw moment of what it is like to go through birth, which is scary, and there were complications.

A wild journey.’
Naturally, the dream team, who tied the knot in 2023, throwing two wedding bashes, have had to adapt and evolve.

‘What happens is that you basically [turn into] colleagues because you’re managing this little baby,’ Jamie says.

‘From my side [it is] never complaining that you are tired because you’re definitely not as tired as your wife and don’t complain that your back is sore – ‘Especially when I’m giving birth!’ Sophie interjects – just remember to shut up, which I learnt quickly.

‘You become hay.

You know how hay criss-crosses?

You become one.

Like, Sophie is my right arm.

I truly believe we’re soulmates.’
Sophie concurs: ‘What’s changed is that you love each other more, but you also have more fights… when [we] argued before you’re kind of like, “Ugh, I’m going to divorce you.”
‘Now it doesn’t even cross your mind because’ – turning to Jamie – ‘You’re Ziggy, and Ziggy is you.’ Jamie quips: ‘She still says that sometimes.

That hasn’t changed!’
Joking aside, Jamie – whose great-great-grandfather Sir Alexander Grant created McVitie’s digestive biscuit – grew up in a household impacted by divorce, and that has shifted what “family” means to him.

‘My parents got divorced.

When you come from a divorced family, you sort of – this sounds dark – you look at divorce as an option.

Family to me is everything now.

Yes, I get that relationships are hard, but you make a promise and you fight through it.

I think 90% of happiness comes from your partner,’ Jamie says.

And the other 10%?

‘Just from Sally down the road,’ he replies, with a cackle.

There are certain qualities they would like Ziggy to inherit from them, as well as traits they’d prefer to skip a generation.

‘I’d like him to have [Jamie’s] energy, kindness and charisma.

And what would I like him to skip?

[Jamie’s] lying.

He can’t help but lie.

It’s not like he lies maliciously, but it’s constant little lies throughout the day,’ Sophie says.

Jamie cheekily counters: ‘I want to skip – she steals.

Yeah, she’s got kleptomania.

No, Sophie is the most authentic person I’ve ever met.

She can see and view things in such a way.

I hope Ziggy has even a smidge of that.’
Being a parent can be tough enough, let alone a celebrity one, with folk gleefully wading in to offer hot takes on how they’re raising their sprogs.

The duo has already felt the pinch after Jamie posted piccies of glammed-up Sophie juggling motherhood duties.

‘You were doing and looking amazing.

I posted online and people didn’t like it because they thought I was “rage baiting.” I was like, “No, my wife just looks epic,”’ Jamie says.

Sophie chimes in: ‘It’s not about “looking.” He’s saying the wrong words.

He means he’s proud of me.’
More children could be on the horizon, too.

However, Jamie isn’t necessarily pumped about the strenuous efforts required to, erm, make the magic happen, because there was a lot of scheduled jiggy before Ziggy: ‘That was hectic.

Can I say, conceiving a child is not sexy.

I thought you’d put Barry White on, drink wine… you don’t do that.’
As for what is next, the blueprint has been laid for a success story not dissimilar to MTV’s mega-smash The Osbournes.
‘That’s what we’re hoping.

Look, I mean, I don’t know how much we can say.

We would love to… we’ve set it up to do it that way, so hopefully, fingers crossed, maybe, yes.

But I can’t confirm or deny anything,’ Jamie teases.

Baby-steps indeed.

Raising Chelsea is available to watch on Disney Plus from Thursday 2 April
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