Shine On Superwoman
Shine June 2000

interview: Jazz Thwaite

Supermodel, superwife, supermum... Yasmin Le Bon puts Wonder Woman to shame.

You and Simon are one of the success couples of showbiz - what's your secret?
I don't think anyone should be under any illusions about how there aren't going to be difficult times.  With me and Simon, the love is still there but there's the companionship that's important, too.  I mean, we do want to grow old together, and your tolerance levels are so much higher when you're in that kind of relationship.  You learn to compromise.  And children make you see the relationship in a different light.  Suddenly it's not just about you and your partner anymore, there are these little people you're responsible for - and that's sobering.

How do you manage the supermodel/supermum juggling act?
Well, one can but try to be super-human!  Being a mum is just the most rewarding and wonderful job in the whole world.  If people think I do it well then I'm very flattered.  As for modelling, it's really hard to find the time nowadays but, of course, I'm a model first - that's my job, and I absolutely love it.

Do you find it hard to keep on top of things?
Oh, now you're talking.  I have so many days when I'm just flagging hopelessly - it's really sad and pathetic.  Forget trying to finish anything, I can't even start anything.  I'm lucky if I get my kids to school and manage to get home again, and then maybe if I get a bit of food shopping done in between I'm a happy bunny.  I've really got to learn to get to bed a little earlier.

But you're still a party girl and you always look gorgeous.  How do you stay looking so good?
I don't know about looking gorgeous.  I suppose being a mum has made me more aware of what I'm eating, purely because I want my kids to be healthy.  But I like a drink and a party, and trust me, when I overdo it I have the hangover from hell.  I guess it's important to listen to your body and not to deprive it of anything it craves because that just makes things worse.  Some days I manage to drink 10 pints of water, and on others if I want fish and chips or a bottle of wine I'll have them.  I believe you're not only happier that way but also you don't overdo it and binge.  It's all about balance.

How do you keep yourself healthy and vital?
I've no idea.  I suppose when you're so busy you just can't be ill.  It's almost as though your mind and body are saying to germs, 'Forget it mate!  I'm not letting you in!'.  The problem with that, though, is that when you do have a rest your body will just cave in and hit you with it.

Describe your style.
Eclectic, to say the least.  I mean, I love well-cut clothes, and being a model it's been a privilege to wear some of the best clothes in the world.  But then I'm just as happy lounging around in jeans and a T-shirt.  It's so much more important to feel good about yourself from the inside.  But then it's unavoidable in this business not to be talked about for what you're wearing or who you're out with.  So yes, you do have to be aware of image, but I still generally wear what I feel good in - not what I'm supposed to feel good in.

What puts a smile on your face when you're feeling down?
I think it's putting everything in perspective, which is very difficult in this day and age.  We have so much opportunity, we should be a lot more grateful than we are.  I know it's easy to get down about things - we all do - but then you've just got to turn around and say: 'My God, how lucky am I?  I could be living in a cardboard box in a sewer or something.'  There's always a positive side to your life, and you just have to find it and focus on that - forget the negative.

Yasmin's top three
Top beauty secret: Smile - it lights up your face, makes your eyes sparkle and is an instant pick-me-up.
Top mum tip: Have lots of sex to bring on labour - trust me it works.
Top fashion tip: Know yourself.  I know that sounds a bit spiritual but I mean don't ever, ever, wear anything you don't feel good in.  It's not so much about how you look but how you feel with your look.