Since appearing in Made in Chelsea, Sophie Habboo has gone on to establish herself as Queen of Podcasts, hosting Wednesdays alongside her BFF (and fellow MIC alum) Melissa Tattam, and the much-loved Newly Weds with husband Jamie Laing (with the pair becoming something of a media power couple in the process). Now she's adding another string to her bow with the launch of her own workout collection in partnership with USA Pro Women.
Sophie's fitness journey has evolved hand-in-hand with her path to body confidence. Now 29, she says she feels much more comfortable in her own skin. ‘I used to do a lot of classes and cardio, but I recently started strength training thanks to my personal trainer and I’m enjoying it so much. Obviously cardio is good for general fitness and your heart health, but I’m loving feeling strong.
‘I’d love to say that at 29 I know the secret to body confidence, but I don’t. I think it’s a long process to completely finding self-love and I don’t know that everyone gets there. Feeling strong definitely helps me feel body confident, and I’ve made huge progress since I was younger - I feel more comfortable and know who I am.’
With everyone starting to slow down on their New Year’s fitness resolutions (us included), Sophie shares how she motivates herself to workout: ‘I try not to dwell on it too much and just get up and go. I always think I’m too tired to work out, but once I start, I always feel really good.
‘A good podcast [hint hint] really helps with that and wearing the right gear. You want to feel comfortable and confident, like you’re being held in all the right places. That’s what I love about my USA Pro collection – it looks great and it’s so comfortable.’
This year also sees Sophie taking the Newly Weds podcast on tour with Jamie, a testament to the success of the show. ‘I had no idea that Newly Weds - or Nearly Weds as it was back - then would blow up as much as it did. I was in the studio recording Wednesdays with Melissa and Jamie was there too. He casually suggested that we record something together and the conversation naturally turned to our upcoming wedding.
‘I thought I was appearing as a guest on one of his podcasts, but then he turned it into a pilot episode and released it to the public. Next thing we know, everyone knows every intricate detail of our wedding.’
And whilst fans love that Sophie - known as Habbs from when she appeared on MIC - and Jamie aren’t afraid to share everything (and we mean everything), Habbs admits that at points, she gets embarrassed by some of the stories Jamie tells on the show.
‘There are million of stories I wish Jamie hadn’t told on the show!’ she says. ‘There’s honestly no stone left unturned with him. I used to be quite a private person, but I’ve learned to be more open, especially because Jamie can’t keep a secret to save his life! I wish some of the more embarrassing stories had stayed private, but they’re the stories listeners seem to love the most so there we are.’
How does she feel about hitting the road with Jamie for their UK tour? ‘He drives me insane a lot of the time, but I love working with him. We were best friends before we ever became anything romantic, and I can reveal that I do actually find him funny. We just laugh all the time – I think it’s the secret to the success of our relationship.’
After becoming engaged in December 2021, Sophie and Jamie finally tied the knot in May 2023 at Sotogrande’s Villa Las Sirenas in Spain in front of over 200 guests, many of whom were the couple’s friends who had appeared on Made in Chelsea with them like Spencer Matthews, Millie Mackintosh and Olivia Bentley.
Speaking about her wedding day, Sophie reveals that everything went according to plan - lucky considering how much pressure there seemingly was on her and Jamie’s big day.
‘Nothing went wrong, it was the perfect day for me. The most memorable moment was when I was walking down the aisle with my dad and I could see Jamie at the top – he was sobbing. He’s not a huge crier normally, so it was very sweet.
‘I definitely got emotional, but because I had so much adrenaline pumping through me I didn’t cry. I came very close though.’
And it wasn’t just the wedding day that went off without a hitch, Sophie admits that married life has been the best thing that’s ever happened to her.
She explains, ‘It sounds really cringey, but I feel this sense of ease. Jamie and I are just such a team now. It’s hard to explain, but there’s just this sense of togetherness now which I love.’
Shop Sophie Habboo’s USA Pro collection here; book your tickets for the Newly Weds Tour newlywedstour.com
Daisy Hall is a News and Entertainment writer on Grazia, specialising in TV and film meaning that you can count on Daisy for the latest (and best) recommendations.