What's it like living with Coronation Street star Catherine Tyldesley? Her husband Tom Pitfield reveals it's a healthy laugh and a half!
Personal trainer Tom Pitfield understands the pressures of juggling family life and healthy living with hectic work schedules – he’s married to Coronation Street star Catherine Tyldesley! Parents to Alfie, two, Tom and Catherine, however, are determined to master the art of healthy living…
All of which makes Tom an ideal expert on ITV’s new series Eat, Shop, Save. Tom, along with presenter Ranvir Singh, nutritionist Dale Pinnock and finance expert Gemma Godfrey are on a mission to help families ditch junk food, step up their exercise and save a fortune in the four-part series, which starts on ITV at 7.30pm, Thursday, July 13.
Here Tom talks to What's on TV about the new show and why he and Catherine are on a healthy living mission...
What’s the idea behind ITV's Eat, Shop, Save? "It’s very much about showing families how to break patterns and put new routines in place. In the show myself and the other experts consult with families. We listen to what they’d like to do in theory and where they struggle – then we help implement small lifestyle changes that make a big difference."
What bad habits are most common? "Getting into bad habits is too easy! With work and family life it’s easy to put exercise and healthy food on the back-burner. It needs to become a bigger priority – it’s not just about losing weight, it’s also about staying healthy."
What are your top tips for a healthier lifestyle? "Exercise doesn’t mean going to the gym! Catherine and I try and pick a different activity to do with Alfie every week, like going for a walk or swimming at the weekend. It’s really simple and all the little activities add up. Tracking activity levels is a great idea too, and most people can get free step-tracking on their phones. It really works because you’re trying to beat the previous day’s steps!"
Who cooks in your house? "Catherine and I both work funny hours, so we both take responsibility for cooking and meal planning. We try to get a big grocery shop over the weekend so that, regardless of our schedules, there’s food to hand in the fridge. If not, you end up going for the quickest option like dialling for a takeaway. On Eat, Shop, Save one of Dale’s biggest tips is to decide what meals you’ll have each night and shop for them – that way there’s zero waste. Preparation is massively important."
And it saves money! Without wanting to get you into trouble, who’s the spender and who’s the saver between you and Catherine? "Good question! I’d say Catherine is the spender and I’m the money conscious one…"
Please tell us you have some bad habits too! "Don’t get me wrong; I don’t live a perfect fitness life! I go through stages where I fall into bad habits, but now I’m aware of them and make changes to get back on track. I work in a gym so I’ve no excuse not to squeeze in exercise! I’m also a big fan of chocolate. It’s my downfall. If you told me I couldn’t drink for a year it wouldn’t faze me, but giving up choccie bikkies would be a different story!"
Have you always been fitness focused? "I think, because I fell into the fitness industry early, I’ve always been quite motivated. I’ve been a personal trainer now for over 10 years – I met Catherine at the Hale Country Club where I work."
Is this a passion Catherine shares with you? "Catherine and I are both so passionate about family fitness we’ve started an Instagram account called The Pitfields, in the hope we can build up awareness and help other busy parents. It’s about showing how we squeeze in exercise and get Alfie to interact with food and cooking. We’ve had a great response."
This is your first TV job. Are you excited to see yourself on screen? "I’ll be watching from behind the sofa! I’ve really enjoyed making the programme and we got some great results for the families. I’d be keen to do more. I find it hard to watch myself, but Catherine says it’s a good learning curve if I want to do more. Whenever Alfie spots Mummy on Corrie he goes mad – it’s so funny. And yes, Eva’s laugh – that’s the real deal. It’s Catherine being Catherine!"
