Joe Weeks has opened up about his “chaotic childhood” with his heroin-addicted father and mother with extreme OCD as he revealed his “ridiculous plan” to have six children.
The health influencer, 38, has three children with wife Rosie – daughter Indie, five, son Marley, three, and 13-month-old daughter Leni – and opened up about his family in a candid new interview.
Joe said Unfiltered editor-in-chief Joe Warner about his determination to provide the children with a “stable” home, something he lacked as a child after he and his parents struggled with addiction.
He spoke of his own ‘chaotic’ childhood when his mother Raquel left him in the care of heroin-addicted father Gary when he was 12 to get help for her OCD.
Joe previously praised his mother for being “brave” enough to get the help she needed in the form of five months of therapy, while his older brother Nicky, 39, tried to shield him from the daily horrors of living with their drug addict father.
EXCLUSIVE: Joe Weeks has discussed his ‘chaotic childhood’ with his heroin-addicted father and mother who have extreme OCD and revealed why he has a ‘ridiculous plan’ to have six children (pictured with brother George and father Gary in 2022)
Celebrating: Joe previously praised his mother (pictured) for being “brave” enough to get the help she needed in the form of five months of therapy, while his older brother Nicky, 39, tried to shield him from the day-to-day horrors of living with by his addicted father
Upbringing: Joe’s mother Raquel left him in the care of his heroin-addicted father when he was 12 to get help for her extreme OCD (pictured with his mother and younger brother George)
Happy families: The athlete shares daughter Indie (five years old), son Marley (3) and thirteen-month-old girl Leni with his other half, but wants to have three more children
He said: “My dad obviously struggled when I was growing up. My dad was a drug addict from a young age, so he struggled with heroin addiction, so it was very difficult for him to be present and emotionally parent when he was like that, he’s in such a bad state with it’.
“So that was obviously one thing, and my mom had her own problem. Apparently she had extreme OCD, like purging, extreme, daily eating disorders, anxiety – it was hard.’
And talking about wanting to expand his brood, he said: ‘Well, I’ve got three kids, and you might think I’m mad, but we actually want six kids.’
‘Looks funny, doesn’t it? You think that’s a big number. But the reason I love it, I get to meet the families when I do these tours and I do PE with Joe and I see the kids, five kids, six kids, and I just love the energy and just the culture of that family – all in fitness, all in exercise.’
He went on to explain how becoming a father “changed his perception of time” by making him realize the importance of being at home and not always at work.
“I’ve always felt like I have a good balance because I’m not just working (all the time). I don’t record TV shows. I could do a lot more TV, a lot more types of travel,’
“But I actually mean, you know what? I love social media and I love going digital because I can be at home with them and be present and be more present as a father.
Before adding, “But yes, they (the kids) stress me out. Do not get me wrong! That’s why I still practice every day!’.
Frankly: Joe spoke to Unfiltered editor-in-chief Joe Warner about his determination to provide children with a “stable” home, something he lacked as a child
Speaking: He opened up about his own ‘chaotic’ childhood in which his mother left him in the care of his heroin-addicted father when he was 12 to get help for her OCD
Father: Joe revealed his determination to provide his children with a ‘stable’ home, something he missed as a child after he and his parents struggled with addiction
Continuing to say, “I think there was a lot of instability in my childhood. And one thing I really want to create now as a parent is stability’.
“I know that as long as I love my children, create a stable life in a home where they feel safe and secure, you can get through almost anything.”
He revealed that he grew up in a “lots of yelling” house where holes would be punched in the walls after his parents lit rows, actions he worked hard not to repeat as an adult.
“Now as a parent, I feel like screaming and yelling – right away. The default setting is to scream and shout.
“You can’t deal with your emotions now, slam the door, get out.” But I’m learning and trying to really think differently and challenge it a little bit and try to be more patient and know that I can react differently and that default setting that I have,’.
Joe continues, “I’m working through it and learning ways, basically take a breath, take a moment and respond differently and with compassion to your child having a tantrum because they haven’t developed rational thinking yet.
He said he’s being honest about the reality of parenthood so people know it’s “okay to lose it sometimes,” but how important it is to try to learn different ways to deal with stress.
Let’s Talk: Joe opens up about his tough upbringing in a scene from a new interview
