'I had to say no to a few big things': Ashley James' crippling mum guilt forced her to reject work
Ashley James turned down "a few big" work projects because she did not want to be separated from her son, Alfie, and her daughter, Ada.
Ashley James turned down "big" projects because of crippling mum guilt.
The 38-year-old broadcaster has cut back on her work commitments - particularly in the "last few weeks" - because separation anxiety was impacting her four-year-old son Alfie, but the move has allowed her to spend time with him and her daughter Ada, two, whom she has with her partner Tommy Andrews.
Ashley explained in the new issue of Closer magazine: "I don't work the regular 9-to-5 and I can't be there for every bedtime or nursery drop off, so Tommy and I juggle.
"However, the last few weeks, I was so busy and missed quite a few bedtimes. It was having a real impact on Alfie with separation anxiety, and that's so hard to navigate.
"I had to say no to a few big things so I could spend that quality time with him and my daughter."
Ashley - who found fame after appearing on the E4 reality TV show Made In Chelsea in 2012 - said she is a "better mum" when she has "breaks" and gets to work on projects she is "passionate about".
She continued: "Being a working mum is challenging because of the burden of mum guilt.
"We don't ever use that term for dads, though. Dads are just expected to work and that's that. We still expect mums to work full-time and be the homemaker they were decades ago. It's setting ourselves up for failure.
"The reality is I could never be a stay-at-home mum, though. There are some mums that flourish when they spend so much time with their children, but I'm a better mum when I have breaks and get to work on things I'm passionate about."
Ashley is a regular commentator on ITV's This Morning, where she discusses current affairs and expresses her strong opinions.
And the star reportedly screen tested as a host on the broadcaster's daytime magazine show with several male presenters in November 2024.
Now, Ashley has said it would be "incredible" to be a main host on This Morning.
She said: "I would love to evolve within This Morning and becoming a main host would be incredible.
"I think Cat [Deeley] and Ben [Shephard] are amazing as the main hosts, and Dermot [O'Leary] and Alison [Hammond] do a great job on Fridays.
"But the show has lots of guest-presenting slots and I've been at This Morning for so long, of course I'd love to continue to grow and work my way towards a bigger role."
