That Gaby Roslin Podcast: Reasons To Be Joyful - Megan Mckenna

Episode Date: March 25, 2025

Megan McKenna (and baby) join Gaby for a chat about all things joy! She discusses her love of country music, spending time in Nashville, her reality TV career and her love of cooking!Megan is a spokesperson for coeliac disease, trying to get people to understand more about how serious gluten allergies can be. Gaby also has a gluten allergy- and they chat about some recipes Megan has created to make at home for the whole family to enjoy. (they also talk about what restaurants could do to make ordering easier for people who are coeliac)Remember you can watch our episodes now via our YouTube page - and chat to Gaby via her instagram! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Megan McKenna, breastfeeding your baby on this podcast has filled me with joy because that's how it should be. I love that. Thank you. Well, it's so lovely to see you again. So lovely to see you. Your book, which I very carefully have planted right in front of you because apart from you being a reason to be joyful, your book is personally to me as somebody with a gluten allergy. So love gluten-free is your new book. but more importantly, can we talk about your baby boy? Oh, so gorgeous.

I'll show you him after he's finished. So you'd live in Germany now with your lovely footballer fiancé, riddle. So life has been extraordinary in the past, what, 10 years? Literally 10 years, yeah. I think that was the first show I done was just over 10 years ago now. And that was X on the Beach?

Yeah. Well, actually, I'd done a lot of things before that. but that was my first reality stint. Then there was many, many more after that. Gosh, you have done that. And you've done so well in all of them. Thank you. But which bit would you like to pick out?

Because this is up to you. Which bit would you like to pick out? For me, I'd say when there was like a turning point in people seeing like, I'd say like the real me is after TOWI, sorry, he's going to decide to come off. As soon as I start telling us. Oh, that's all right. There you.

Oh, my God. Say hello to everyone because I know you want to go on the other side. Hello, gorgeous. Hey. Hello, gorgeous one. Hello. I'd say, yeah, the turning point for me was when I was coming off of Tawi and I got my own TV show where I had to go to Nashville.

Yes. And I was just like exploring life out there, performing on all the Nashville stages. And I think when I come back from that is when I really, like, dived into my country music. I'd always been doing country music. But no one on, like, from the TV world really knew that. side of me. They were just like, oh, it's Megan from reality TV. Like, oh, she can't do music. And I was like...

Well, you really can. I really, really can. Like, I really love it. I live and breathe it. I write my own songs. And then it kind of just was like, it's continuing. And then I did Glastonbury. And for me, that is like my favourite part of my life.

So apart from having London, that is my favourite part of my career in life. So, okay, let's talk... Because the music, the very first time I met you, it was music. And you came and you sang live on. on my radio show. And what was so lovely is that I remember afterwards you were saying, everybody's face when I sing, they look really surprised. Yeah.

And that, so for you at Glastonbury and everyone goes, Yeah. Oh yeah. I mean, I know you did, obviously you did celebrity X Factor. Yeah. And that also made everybody suddenly, oh, what? That was so cool. I love that.

It's funny because I auditioned for the X Factor like quite a few times before that, like in my earlier life. I've actually auditioned for all of the talent shows. I was on Britain's Got Talent and I auditioned for the voice. I auditioned for anything that was coming up. But to do with singing? To do with singing, yeah.

And it was only really when I was like in my early 20s, I wasn't getting any breaks with the TV and with the music. And I thought, do know what? This reality TV thing's come up. I'm like, I'm just going to have to do it. Let's just get on TV. Let's be seen. Let's get in with these producers.

Like, I really want to be seen. I always had this in my mind. know, this isn't my end goal reality TV. This is just my stepping stone. And that's, but that also shows that you, how clever you, you knew, this was a business. So it was a business, right, I'm going to do this because I know where I want to get to. Yeah. So do you, are those stepping stones still in motion? Yeah, definitely. I'd say I'm like in a point there of my life where I'm quite happy with like where what I'm doing, you know, I'm not like rushing to do some other like big shows.

I'm just, I'm happy, you know, I have London. I live in Germany at the moment, even though I'm back and forth, like a yo-yo, it's crazy. But I'm not like, maybe at the beginning, I would kind of take all the shows that would come up, whereas now I get off of things and I think, no, do you know what, I'm not going to do that. It's not right for me right now.

Okay, any show, I've got a magic wand. Go on. Any show, what would it be? Okay, any show, what would it be? You can do anything. I mean, actually, you really can do. I wouldn't have a thing. I wouldn't mind doing a bit of Strictly.

Oh, yes. I just feel like, because, hello, you give me a few blurps. Thank you. That was very nice, but that's what we want those. You little man. So, yeah, I definitely would say strictly, just because I went to theatre school, and I love all of that. I love all the showbiz.

So I just feel like I'd be really good at it. You'd be really good at Strip. Have they never asked you? Do you know what? I'm not like, I feel like there's been conversations maybe before, maybe through emails, but I haven't actually. Oh, yes. Hadn't been asked, but I would love to do it.

Oh, and also you'd be really good at it. I just love dressing up as well and like, you know what I mean? Performing and, yeah, it would be good. So aside from the singing and the reality TV shows, you are now a spokesperson, you are now a spokesperson for celiac disease and for people with allergies. And this is something that you, because you have celiac yourself, you feel really passionate that the word has to get out there. Yeah. Do you know what?

I've been speaking about this for such a long time now and I think it's only since my books come out more and more people are really like actually listening now. I think sometimes when you say like, oh, I've got an allergy, oh, celiac disease, honestly, like people feel a little bit like, sometimes I think people get a bit bored of it, but I think people don't realize how serious these things are.

So I'm an ambassador for the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation and that's for covering all allergies. And I just feel like people in the allergy world, there's just not a big voice out there, like kind of standing for them all. And for me, like I would just, I just want to be that voice. Like being little, going through it all, being at school, feeling left out,

going to parties, people not having any food for me when I go to their house. It really starts to take its toll on you. When you're young, like now, like, you know, We're like, we're not bothered about saying to someone, oh no, we can't eat that. But when you're little, you feel awkward and you don't have the confidence to say them things. So the fact that I can be online and be like sharing that, but no, it's completely normal. And don't feel embarrassed to be saying you've got an allergy or you can't eat this, you can't eat that.

When you're in a restaurant, yeah, don't feel like you're being a pest. So for people who don't know what celiac disease is and the effects and how it affects you, just to explain. Okay, so celiac disease is different to allergies. Celiates disease and autoimmune disease where it attacks your gut if you eat gluten and it can lead to really bad things in life as well, like later on if you continue to eat gluten and on top of it make you feel very unwell. Whereas an allergy... Which is what I have.

So I have an allergy to wheat. You have an allergy. So do I. I have an allergy to wheat. And that is when you get hives, welts, you know, you can be sick. Yeah. Everything. Here comes your coffee.

Oh, lovely. Thank you so much. It's not for you, Landon. No. Not for you, London. Thanks, Will. Thank you. So, yeah, the allergy side of things are really scary and really dangerous.

And obviously the reactions can be from, like you said, like from breath, having no breath to literally... Going into anaphylactic shock, which is... And dying. And I think people don't understand this, especially when you're out in restaurants. Yep. Actually, we can share the stories because we shared this off, Mike,

the other day. I go to restaurants and they'll say to me, I'll say, oh, I'm gluten-free, and I'll say, you don't mind if there's a bit in there. I say, well, no, then I'm really ill. And then I just look at them and say, I'm a celiac. And then they, but I'm not. But I have to say that, so they take me seriously. And it shouldn't be like that.

A friend of mine has got a nut allergy. Luckily not airborne. But they say, are there any nuts in this? They go, we don't think so. Should be okay. And he gets really ill. That's crazy. frighteningly ill.

It's so frustratingly ill. It's just so annoying. And like I've always said, why are these people not having really, really specific training? Like, people need to be in training sessions about allergies, what to do. They need to know every bit of ingredient in that food. And also, when you're asking about the ingredients in a restaurant,

you shouldn't be made to feel like you're being a pest, like I said before. And I've had that so many times. You've had it as well. Yeah, we have to ask them. Can you bring out the packet of whatever? they're using or I have to question them about something about the sock cubes about what soy or sauce they're using. I can't think where I was the other day and she said to me, oh I didn't realize that the

soy of sauce had wheat in and I thought, oh my God, like you are literally like if it's not for me, like if it wasn't for me being like really vocal about it, I would have just said that. And you've been very, very ill. Yeah. The thing is, and it's very interesting, you talk about young people with it and we hear the most horrific stories. And I think some high street shops have definitely made a difference.

They made a big difference. But we don't need to name them. Everybody knows what I'm talking about that place. But for young people going to a party, and I remember, was it Jamie Oliver talking about that as well and other people, but you being the spokesperson for young people and the parents of young people who are going to a party is really important.

You know, the birthday cake, you never get the birthday cake. Never. You know, it's just, Hello. Sorry, he's smiling at me, so I just had to say hello. Hello, Landon. But it is, it's you being the spokesperson person is really important. What advice would you give a mother or father, a carer, and what advice would you give a young person who's listening to this and thinks, that's me?

I would just say, like, please don't feel like you're different because you can't eat things and don't feel down about it, because you can actually eat, no joke, like 90%. of food like because you just need to know you just need to know exactly you just need to know how to cook it what things to change in a certain recipe and also like the thing about my book which is why i love it i love cooking and sharing on my socials my dinners every night is this isn't about you can have that gluten-free meal and you have the normal meal you can actually cook everything gluten-free and i can put money on it you wouldn't even know it's a difference

Stuff, Parmesan mushrooms. Yes, please. I'm coming to your house. Do you cook at the home? I mean, you're at home all the time. Because I see it on your socials. Yeah, I love it. I cook breakfast, lunch and dinner.

And obviously now I'm starting London on weaning. So I've got another little dinner, hey, to make every day. I love it. I love to cook for Ollie. I love to make. Do you cook Ollie gluten-free? Yeah. See, that's the thing.

Everyone's, oh, no, you've got to do two separate meals. No. I do the same for all of us, I think. Yeah, because I'm sure you just make it... Do they say it tastes any different? No, they're used to it. Everything at home is gluten-free, but they have their bread in a certain area. Yeah, that's fair enough.

That's like when I lived at home with my family, obviously they'd have their own bread. But my mum would make everything gluten-free. My brothers and my sisters, they never used to mind. None of them have got an allergy. I just think it's knowledge and you can make it good. I just think people don't think it. People think, oh, gluten-free, it's going to taste horrible. Well, there was a...

Let's be honest. There was a time. There was a time. And I can, good grain bakery is the bake. I was going to go and buy you some in the local shop. Oh, that's so nice. But it's really good. But it used to be that cakes and bread and pasta tasted of sand for gluten-free.

Yeah. It's getting better. It's getting a lot better. There's a couple of brands I prefer. But the bread, yeah, back in the day, I used to have to microwave my piece of bread because it was literally, could literally like it, be knocked out by it. Is that the one that was vacuum packed?

Yes. Oh, it was disgusting. The vacuum packed. But, like, how long has that been sitting there for? It's scary. It's disgusting. It's scary. What has got in it?

I know. But I used to go to the pharmacy. I used to get my little, I think it was every couple of weeks. I'd get a box and, you know, obviously it was lovely that I was getting it all for free because it's really expensive. That's another thing. It shouldn't be. It shouldn't be.

But it was disgusting. Yeah. awful. And that's why I had to learn. cook. I love this. And the book, so this is your second book. Yeah. But it is, I love the idea of everybody just going for it. Oh, you see, I keep opening the page all my favorite things. Japanese style pickled chili cucumber. I'm obsessed with pickles. No, no. I love pickles. Okay. In front of you, pickles or chocolate, which one are you going to go for first? Pickles, probably. I swear, yeah. I love

pickles. Do you know, we went out last night with another couple. The four of us went out and everybody ordered their starters and they did in this restaurant they make their homemade pickles so i said can i just have your homemade pickles instead of sharing so they brought me a pot and i had it in front of me oh it was fantastic pot of pickles you can't beat it oh my do you make your own pickles then as well i don't make i don't brew them or anything like that no no oh why do you yeah what recently i made sourcrow but it's more pickled sourcrap okay so uh but with red cabbage oh nice so shred your red crab red cabbage yeah i put a little bit of apple cider vinegar in teeny bit.

I put some little bit of pink salt in and a little squirt of coconut nectar then massaged it all in because you have to massage it in put it in one of those sealed

glass jars right really? I don't know that's something I need to maybe look into starting to do it oh no I put red onion in there as well oh very nice

yes see there's a pickle dip in there a pickle dip Yeah. Look at me. Okay. What's the pickle dip? What's the pickle dip?

Pickle dip. You can just stick your crisps in it and just have pickles and top of your crisps. What's it made from? What's the recipe? Just like a bit of cheese, like gluten-free breadcrumbs. Honestly, it's nice. Pickle dip. I'm now looking it up.

Okay, pickle dip. So for you, yeah. So apart from Strickley and doing more of this, how about a cookery show? I mean, you did win. I did win Master Chef. You did win Master Chef. So why don't you have for your own cookery show? To be honest, like, I would love to do something like that.

For me, that's like, that's not the reality kind of TV world that I have done before. That's something that's very wholesome and family-orientated. That's something kind of like bringing the camera to my house. I mean what I'm doing every day, do I mean. I would love to do something like that. Okay, so do that. There we go. Something on the list.

Cooley, a cookery show. Your manager's through the glass, so she'll be writing all this down. So she knows it all anyway. Can I ask you about the craziness of your life? So you're engaged to a footballer and he's, I mean, an international, you know. Yes, he's an international football. He's played all over. All the reality stuff.

People following you for your wanting to know everything that you do and your ex-boyfriends. And I'm not talking, that's not what this is about. But it's quite intrusive. You have a lot of people wanting to know. You put out what you want to put out on your social. And it's really lovely what you put out. Thank you. Thank you. It's not...

Well, I try to just like show a bit of everything. Yeah. I don't like sugarcoat everything. I do show the real parts as well. You do get mum shamed quite a lot on Instagram. I've noticed... I'm sorry that that happens to you. Yeah, it's crazy.

In what way? Well, Landon has reflux. Very, very bad, actually. He's on medicine for it. When he was little, the first six weeks when I had him, were actually... horrendous. He was screaming every day, every night, no sleep. I couldn't even get my head around it. And it really does make you feel depressed. Of course. Of course. Of course.

So I had someone come out to help me for three days, got mum shamed for that. Oh, look. She's had a nanny come and help her for three. And I just honestly got to the point where I was like, well, first, she's actually a nurse. She was like a nurse nanny. She come and help me. She actually said to me, he's got reflux. I didn't know. Yeah. You just had a baby. You've never had. I've never had a baby before, but my mum come and visited me. She said, this isn't normal. Like, he's crying too much. Anyway, so I've got mum shamed for that part. Can I just, the best bit of advice I can give you is ignore them. Yeah, I know.

It's hard. I know. It's easier said than done. Yeah. So you got mum shamed about that. Got mum shamed about that. And then so obviously I was taught how to make him sleep, you know, in the whole night, make sure he's on these schedule feeds every three hours.

It was very, very strict routine. And then, yeah, his reflux actually got really bad. And obviously he wasn't being given a medicine in Germany yet. They were just testing him on other things. And I was not getting any sleep ever. You know, you can't look after a baby when you're not sleeping. So I had to put him down for naps. I'm teaching him to self-suv.

Well, the comments. Do you know, thousands. Every single person is there with their advice. Yeah, they are. You know, this is the napper you should use. You should use blackout blinds. You shouldn't use blackout. You should do this.

You shouldn't do that. Why are you doing this? Why are you not doing that? I wasn't able to breastfeed because I didn't have any milk. And the amount of women who were just, what do you mean? I haven't got any milk. No, you have. You know, you've got to stick to it.

So no, my child would not have any food. Yeah, literally. Literally. But I did. I remember a friend of mine, because my mum's no longer here. My mum died many, many years ago, nearly 30 years ago. And one of my best friends said to me, I call the bastards. Yeah.

And it really actually helped. Yeah, you do. I have to. Otherwise, it would just eat me up if I was reading them all and it was affecting me. But a couple of them, I was just thinking like, hang on, you don't actually know what position I'm in. I'm in Germany. I don't have my mum around the corner. I don't have friends around the corner.

I'm on my own. That must be tough. It is hard. It is hard. For real life. Yeah. Not forgetting Landon, but in real life. It is hard, yeah.

And I think a lot of people forget that with me. They just see me on my Instagram and it's all like cooking up my dinner every night and oh look, you know, she's dealing with it fine. And I'm like, yeah, I am dealing with it fine. But I need to put Landon down for a few hours in the day and give myself, firstly, an hour to sleep to catch up. So I'm at the happiest and well to look after him. Absolutely.

And secondly, I need to make myself something to eat, go to the toilet, have a shower, The list is endless. But I did try to explain that on Instagram and then some of the mums were like, don't get me wrong, a lot of the mums are amazing and lovely and so supportive. Yes, they are, aren't they?

And then some people were just like, oh, you shouldn't be doing the washing and iron and you should be spending every minute of the day looking after and watching Lans and grow up. And I thought, but I don't want to be sitting in a dirty household. Secondly, that's going to make me feel even worse. I was like, do you know what?

You can't win. No, and don't win. You can't win. doing really bloody well. Ignore them. Just ignore them. But it's the outside stuff as well because you're with a footballer because of all the different things. And because of the reality shows that you've been in,

you do get followed. And I'm using that. And the old says, you know, in the press and the paparazzi and everything. And you've just, you've managed to ride that. You really have. But I like it. And this is the thing. I know I'm obviously talking about there's mum trolls.

but there is 90% of my following is amazing. And I love being, having people comment in and messaging, and I love putting my videos up. I love filming the videos, editing the videos, putting it in, and I get a thrill out of that. And I think maybe that's why I've just done TV for so long, because I actually really enjoy it. And I love watching it back.

I think some people on tell you, they're like, oh, I don't like watching myself. I actually quite like watching myself. I love it, I love it. I don't know what it is. I really enjoy it. Maybe it's because I went to theatre school and I'm all showbiz probably deep down

but I really enjoy it and I love watching London like when I do the videos and I love watching it back so. You wait when he's older and he's a teenage boy and I'm going Mom

Blues Oh my word So tell me about Ollie How's he doing? He's great He's currently playing for a team Well actually he's been playing for them Verde Brayman in the Bundesliga Landon hasn't been to a game yet

which is going to be exciting because I've got to get him a little t-shirt but yeah no it's really cool it's a very very cool atmosphere out there like when you go and watch the game everyone's really singing loud and they're all dressed up what's better?

What's in here? Look you like a book look what's this? Look look look who's that? What? Oh my goodness Oh my goodness look at you looking at the book

He likes a book lately actually. Yeah, you can hold it. But is it tough not having your friends and family around? It must be. Yeah, it is. Because I'm really family-orientated. Like, we love our Sunday roasts. You know, my sister's my best friends.

I'm just really close, obviously. My mum is like, I call my mum probably every hour of the day. Yeah, thank God for FaceTime. That's all I'm saying. because where we live, it's not... Are you blowing a raspberry? Yeah, love that.

Keep blowing them. Go for it, Landon. It's just not a lot of English-speaking people. Obviously, we're in Germany. But I think when you go to some of the bigger parts of Germany, they do all speak English. Have you learned any German? Oh, I'm terrible.

I'm terrible. It's quite difficult. It's really difficult. Like, some words are similar. And in some words, I have no idea what people are saying to me. My late mum used to say, so long as you can say, please, thank you, good morning and good night or something. That was about it. Yeah.

I mean, do you know what? It does go a long way. Sorry. Now Lantern's... It's not all right. I think it goes a long way when you speak a little bit of German. So come on then. Let's see some good time.

No, I don't. I don't even know. I just say fan kajun. Wherever I go, I go, fankerzchen, fankerzchen. God knows what they're saying to me, but I'm just like, fancassian. So you trained... You went to theatre school. You knew that this is what you always wanted to do.

Yeah. From last time to now, I would really, really, last time I saw you, I would say that I would use the word happy. Oh. You are happy, aren't you? I am. Do you know what? And I do thank Ollie for a lot of that.

Like, he is just so lovely to me. And I think growing up on TV and just so many things in the public eye. And all the ex-relationships and all of that that suddenly every newspaper wanted to know about all of those. And I just think as well, like when you're on them TV shows, you know, they can really manipulate things and make things seem a lot worse than what they are.

And again, like online trolls can be really cruel to you. Hey, what's the matter? Come on then. Come here and then you can look at mummy. Hey, look. Look. Oh, this would make me go on. Look.

There we go. Mommy. Wow. There's mommy. There we go. Can you see mommy? Hello. Oh, he's so...

Oh, he smells so lovely as well. He still has the baby smell. He just got the baby smell. Look, there we go. There we are. Let me just check. Oh, how funny he's calling now. Is he?

You can speak to him. We can pick him on loud speaker. No, he's calling me on a video. I'll call him later. Oh, that's so funny. He'll die. He would die. He's probably just come out of the shower or something.

No, oh God. No, yes. Put him on video and he's. He's just out of the shower. Can you imagine? So this book, you're going to get a TV show all about cookery. You're going to be on Strictly Come Dancing. You're going to learn more German. You're going to ignore the trolls.

Yeah. And you're going to keep smiling. Yeah. Please, there's one other thing that you haven't mentioned. What? The singing. Oh, the singing. When are we getting some more?

I know. So obviously, I've taken a little break. Yeah. It's just a lot. First, it can't be in the studio at the moment when I have London. I'm exclusively breastfeeding. It's a little bit difficult. But the end of the year is when I'm opening the doors to that again.

Oh, fantastic. Yeah, and I'm going to be going back in the studio. I mean, I have got a massive pocket of songs just up my sleeve, ready to go. But yeah, country music for me is always been my dream. And I'm going to be giving it a good go at the end of the year. C2C next year? I'm hoping for to be at C2C next year. Yeah.

I love C to C. So cool. Okay. All right. Yeah. That's where we'll see you next year. Yeah. I wish you good luck with it.

I'm taking Landon. Hey. Look, you've settled. You weren't just a couple. Okay. Okay. Okay. Landon, do you want to say bye bye?

Say bye-bye. Thank you so much, my love. Thank you, family.