The Body Coach gives a concerning insight into the state of his physical health days after he celebrated his 40th birthday
Joe Wicks has sparked concerns over his health after admitting he was “not happy” over one aspect of his life. The Body Coach, who recently celebrated his 40th birthday, has long been an advocate for better health and encouraging people to feel good about their bodies.
Over the summer, Joe teamed up with the Government to launch a series of cartoons for children to keep fit. He was also announced as one of the contestants for the forthcoming Gladiators celebrity special on BBC One.
But in a rare moment of vulnerability, the father-of-four claimed that despite getting joy out of keeping active, he was “never really happy with his body”.
He even added that at times, he was a bit conscious of how he looked. Joe told The Telegraph in an interview: “You know, I’m never really happy with my body.
“I’m 5ft 10in and weigh 75kg. I always think I’m too skinny, but this is just my natural physique.
“I’m never going to be a big, muscly man like you see on Instagram who probably takes some sort of performance enhancement drugs. That’s not me.”
Joe admitted that while old age may be creeping up on him, he would not take drastic measures to achieve a perfect body. “I’ve got grey hairs in my beard now,” he added.
“But I’m pretty happy with my hairline, it’s not receding yet. I’d never have any cosmetic stuff done or even have my teeth fixed.
“It’s not me.” Despite encouraging people to eat and drink healthier, Joe claimed he was no saint, with chocolates and a drink with the boys “every three or four months” being his main weaknesses.
He added: “Chocolate, brownies, cakes, fizzy sweets – once I start, I can’t stop,” he grins. “If I eat junk, I crave more and I feel rubbish.
“I’m all or nothing.” The Epsom exercise expert’s latest admission came a month after he came under fire after admitting to gorging on sugary snacks after an 11-week fast, a move some health experts branded irresponsible.
“Got a confession to make, I’ve had a relapse,” he said, adding that the incident took place when he filmed the Gladiators special. “There was a table full of sweets and chocolate.
“I had a bit of fruit to begin with and I cracked and guess what it was that done me? It was a packet of Jaffa Cakes which I haven’t eaten for years.”
It also came three years after he launched a touching BBC documentary about how his difficult childhood helped shape the man he became today. Joe Wicks: Facing My Childhood saw him open up on life growing up with a heroin-addicted father and a mother battling obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
At the time of its release, he told the BBC: “I don’t think there was a specific moment that I suddenly understood my dad’s addiction and my mum’s OCD, because when you’re in it as a kid it’s your reality. I’d walk into the house and not know what I was going to walk into.”
With his father Gary going in and out of rehab, Joe added: “As I got older, I realised it wasn’t normal. We were arguing all the time, and I’d think, ‘Why isn’t my dad here?
“Why can’t he be a stable guy in my life?'” Thankfully, life has turned out for the better for the Wicks family as Gary has been clean from heroin for years while he credits his mum Raquela, whom he described as “a brilliant young nonna” to his children, for setting good boundaries as a child despite her struggles.
“Although mum had a challenging upbringing, she brought us up into the humans that we are,” he shared with the BBC. “That’s down to her setting boundaries, and the love she showed us.”