The Netmums Podcast - S13 Ep6: Tom Skinner: From the Apprentice's Boardrooms to Twin Babies

Episode Date: May 20, 2024

On this week’s episode of The Netmums Podcast we get a taste of the chaotic world of a parent and entrepreneur: Tom Skinner; star of The Apprentice, and a father of 3 sits down with Wendyand Alison to chat about raising three young kids, including a pair of twins. Tom shares his rollercoaster journey from boardroom battles with Lord Sugar to the negotiations with toddlers that leave him baffled and outwitted at home! Tom's heartfelt (and hilarious) storytelling as he recounts the dramatic birth of his twins, and his experience of fatherhood in general will have you on tenterhooks AND in stitches! From cooking with his son to the famous spaghetti hoop fiascos, Tom imparts wisdom on involving kids in meal prep to foster a love for diverse, nutritious foods.  Stay connected with Netmums for more parenting tips, community support, engaging content: Website: netmums.com / Instagram: @netmums 

You're listening to the Netmums podcast with me, Wendy Gollich, and me, Alison Perry. Coming up on this week's show... I have sat in boardrooms with Lord Sugar. I literally deal with massive corporate brands every single day. Yet I come back and get beaten by my three-year-old about him wanting to watch Paw Patrol. I don't know how this works. I can't win. I just can't win. Do you know what I mean? I've even stuck... When he throws his little tantrum, which he started doing now, I go down to his level and I go, Emery, I'm not having that, mate. That's been very, very naughty. And he goes, no, daddy, you're naughty. I can't win.

Welcome, everybody. Wendy, how are you doing on a scale of one to ten where are you today oh no well no i can't because this is a positive podcast i can't i'm still in i know this may air at a slightly different time but i'm still in post tonsil removal doom in my house so there's tears and there's snot and there's cowpull and I'm not getting any sleep and let's move on how are you how's your week been in sharp contrast I'm loving life it's sunny where I am today and um my child was on the brink or one of my children was on the brink of maybe not going into school today she has got a bit of a cough I was like oh is she gonna make it and she brightened up bonus and she was fine and she went in and I just feel like I am I'm actually winning well you are clearly smashing life and I am being smashed which leads us nicely to our

guest today give us the intro yes we're joined today by entrepreneur, star of The Apprentice and author of Graft, How to Smash Life. When he's not grafting and smashing life, Tom Skinner is a dad of three, including baby twins. And I know what that's like. That's a graft in itself. Tom, a massive welcome to the Netmums podcast. How are you? Thank you for having me. You're very welcome. You're how we are. How are you? I'm not too bad. I just told you I've been shoved in this little box all day, but I'm all right. I'm bearing up all right. I've got a bit of Walker in front of me.

Tom is joining us from a cupboard in East London, ladies and gents. Yep, I am. Now, straight off, here we go. Which is harder, charming Lord Sugar on The Apprentice, raising three kids, two of whom are twins? Raising three kids, one million percent. Lord Sugar was easy, do you know what I mean? That wasn't even hard.

That was good fun. He's a bit scary, though. No, he's a bit scary though no he's not he's honestly he's like your little old uncle you know like he's all right he's like how he's he's good stuff do you know i mean he's a nice bloke and i've got i was lucky i got on well with him but yeah three under three is he's hard work yeah yeah i mean you have said though that it was like winning the lottery when you found out that you were having twins. What's been the best thing about fatherhood so far? Oh, just, like, loads of things.

I mean, one of my... I work seven days a week, so my favourite thing is dinner time and bedtime because, obviously, I leave the house at three, four in the morning, so when I get back, I love... Henry started helping me cook, you know what I mean? and bedtime because obviously i want to leave the i leave the house at three four in the morning so when i get back i love but henry started helping me cook you know i mean like doing a bit of dinner and things like that and it's nice to sit around the table at the twins there while they're throwing

it all up the walls and don't care you know and and and just and just relax and and i love bedtime to have a little cuddle put a bit of telly on and put on the bed. That's my favourite time, you know what I mean? Yes, it's brilliant. Being a dad's the best thing in the world. You had three under three for a while there, which is commendable. No mean feat, Tom. Well done. What skills did you learn way back as a market trader that came in handy? None, none, none.

I'm not going to, none, nothing prepared me for that. But my wife, I'm not going to nothing prepare me for that i mean but my wife i'm not gonna lie i can't take any credit it is literally all my wife she's i don't know how she does it honestly like even we had a big thunderstorm last night i've never seen nothing like all three babies have been under the weather this this this week with uh with diarrhea and sickness bug and like the thunder was going the sick was coming out and there was a lot of screaming and i was just literally pretending i couldn't hear anything and i did under me don't you can't do that that's bad are you and i don't know i don't normally do that but i knew i was going to get shoved in a cupboard for

14 hours today so well yeah cupboard versus at to get shoved in a cupboard for 14 hours today. Well, yeah, cupboard versus, at least you're not in the cupboard covered in vomit. It could be worse. Imagine the smell. I'm thinking that, you know, the art of negotiation, which I'm sure you're pretty good at, that must come in handy with a toddler, right? Yeah, but I have sat in ballrooms with lord sugar i literally deal with massive corporate brands every single day yet i come back and get beaten by my three-year-old about him wanting to watch paw patrol i don't know how this works i can't win i just can't win you know i mean i've even stuck when he throws his little tantrum which he started doing now

i go down to his level and I go, Emery, I'm not having that, mate. That's been very, very naughty. And he goes, no, daddy, you're naughty. I'm just like. Now I'm stuffed. I can't win. So do you have like a fave dad moment?

Is there a moment that stands out? I'm guessing being vomited on isn't it? You know, is there one, is there a moment that stands out as the thing that you think, oh, yeah, this is a bit good? I'll tell you one of the maddest stories. Do you want to hear the twins' birth story? Oh, yeah, please tell us about this because I have heard that it's crazy.

Well, this is a crazy story. So West Ham United basically rung me up and said, Tom, we would like you to manage West Ham in America for a million dollar tournament. And I went, but I've never managed or played football in my life. Why do you want me?

And I said, look, we're trying to get the Americans into premier league football, West Ham, all the expats are going out there. We want you to be big, good PR and be the manager. You'd be great. You'd be great. You're very positive. Honestly, you'd be fine. All the team withpairs are going out there. We want you to be good PR and be the manager. You'll be great.

You'll be great. You're very positive. Honestly, you'll be fine. All the team are with you. So I went, fantastic. So gone to my wife. Look, babe, do you mind if I go to North Carolina for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?

And she's like, well, yeah, when is it? I said, it's the 30th of March to the 2nd of June, or 5th of June. She's gone, yeah, but I'm going to be six months pregnant with our twins. So I said, well, if you don't want me to go, don't imagine West Ham, I won't go. Honestly, I don't mind. I'd like to go, but if you

don't want me to go, I won't. And she went, no, do you know what? She went, you go. My sister will come and stay for the few days while you're away. So, bosh, off I go on a plane to America. I've never been to America before in my life. First time I'm with all the West Ham players. We get there. Second day there, I'm on ESPN News.

Like, no one has a clue. Like, no one in America has a clue who West Ham are. Like, no one. But we're in this big tournament, and we're setting up, we're getting ready. And in that evening, I'm five hours ahead. Ring my wife and say, look, I'm about to go to bed now. The tournament starts tomorrow. How are you feeling? She went, oh, I'm five hours ahead. Ring my wife and say, look, I'm about to go to bed now. The tournament starts tomorrow.

How are you feeling? She went, oh, I'm brilliant, fantastic. Me and my sister's been making cakes with Henry all day. Like, I've got to go to the hospital in the morning for a routine checkup because they're twins. They're a little bit higher risk, but it's going to make sure everything's all right. Then book in my cesarean for like a month's time

or six weeks' time, whatever it is. So I said, well, give me a call when you're there. Boom, boom, boom. I've got up, put the West End manager's kit on, started getting ready, gone down for breakfast. As I've gone back to the room to get my boots, my wife's rung me. Now, I'm about, what am I, six, I don't know. I'm in front. No, I'm behind you, sorry. Yeah, I was right. I'm about six, I don't know, I'm in front. No, I'm behind you, sorry.

I'm behind. So I'm breakfast time and it's about one o'clock England time. So Sinead rings me as I'm getting my boots to leave for the tournament and she can't get a word out. She's literally hysteric. So I'm like, well, calm down. What's the matter? And she's had to put the doctor on now. She's like doctor she went this doctor went to me she went tom we've got a

bit of situation shanae's coming for a routine check we've we're not happy twin twin a has drawed all the nutrients from twin b um we're gonna have to do an emergency c-section within the next 24 hours um if we don't like there's a there's a 90 chance you're going to lose twin b um and i was like what like well okay um i don't know what to do and i mean it's this can happen but you could potentially lose your what this is quite a serious so there's no doubt the room that it's quite a serious operation was it twin to twin um uh transfusion syndrome do you know is that it sounds like that's what it was i'll be honest you i don't know i don't know it i've from what you're explaining it sounds like

that and that is so dangerous like you're right the mom can die both twins can die it's like proper scary well it was it was i mean so i'm 5 000 miles away i'm told that my wife said you have to go into surgery in the next 24 hours like a lot sooner um i didn't know what to do so i said i sort of had this sort of weird moment where i said put her on the phone i said should i do the doctor tell you you'll be fine relax i'm coming home now and uh i rung i rung my mom i rung my dad i rung my mates, I rung my dad, I rung my mates. I got everything sorted out. I got people to go and pick up Henry from nursery.

I don't know what happened. It sort of become like this, like, sorting things out. And I was trying not to get emotional, but then I've walked down the stairs. And as I've come down, the buses were out and the whole West Ham squad, I've just burst into tears. Because obviously I don't know what's happening. And then, but the boys, the West Ham was, look at Tom.

It's the best day of his life. He's managing West Ham. He's crime retinus. I went, no, you, I went, no, you f***ing idiots. I need to go home, right? And I literally got on the bus and I said, look, when I get to the stadium, I'm going to have to go to the airport. And as I got to the stadium, I couldn't find a cab to get to the airport.

So I had to pay a man driving a school bus to get me to the airport. There was no one I could get there. He was in the middle of nowhere. And he was like, he literally was like, look, man, for family, I'll do anything. I was like, good, there's $200. And when I got to the airport when i've got this is true all the truth story i said to the man look can you please wait there for 10

minutes i don't know if i'm gonna be able to get a flight i'm in north carolina i've run into this i've run into this airport and there's a massive queue in it and i and i was all getting some man i don't know he must have sensed i was not in a good way he went you look like you're in trouble son come in front of me. So I got to the front of the queue and I'm saying, look, any flight back to London, I don't care what it costs, I just need the next flight. And there was literally no flights. And the only one they had was if I flew from North Carolina

to Philadelphia, wait 50 minutes and fly from Philadelphia to Heathrow. So I said, I'll have it. I'll have it. And then they've gone, but it's not for another three hours. So I'm like, oh, my God. But I booked it, bang. Well, I've got three hours to kill. I've rung Sinead.

She's like, look, they're getting me ready for surgery. And I was like, oh, my God, right. I spoke to her sister. Her sister was having a breakdown going, we're going to lose. I went, shut up. You ain't going to lose. They're just saying that. It can't happen, yeah?

So now the sister's having a breakdown. My wife's having a breakdown. And I'm in North Carolina. So what did I do? I got back on the bus. I got three hours of care. I swear my life is true. Went back to the stadium.

Managed the first half of the game. I got three hours of key. I swear my life is true. Went back to the stadium, managed the first half of the game. I run in there. I give the best motivational speech to my team in the world. Look, let's do this for my wife, guys. Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. We got battered 4-2. I went back to the airport. I went back, got on the plane, and as

I was going through security on the first plane, Siobhan rings me, Sinead's sister, and goes, was going through security on the first plane, Siobhan rings me, Sinead's sister, and goes, Tom, Tom, Tom, it's all happening now. I said, all right, OK, don't worry. She went, oh, my God, there's 10 doctors gone in there. Oh, my God, and she was having a breakdown. I said, I went, listen, Siobhan, shut up, mate.

I'll be home in a minute. She was going to be fine. I'm then in a state of tears. I've got on this plane in America. I've got a text from Siobhan of these two tiny three pound beautiful little twins in this. They've been born in this incubator. I'm like, she's like the twins are here.

They're not great, but they're here. Yeah. I've text back. How's Sinead? The plane's taken off. I don't know if my wife's a lot of have. This is the first plane.

I've done 45-minute flight to Philadelphia. As we're coming to land, now, I've been told I've only got 50 minutes to get from one side through security to the other side of the airport to get the London flight. As we come to land, the captain gives it a brace on the thing, has to take off again and go around because another plane was on the runway. I don't know if my wife's alive.

I'm literally having a minute. I'm holding some old woman's hand. It was like, she's praying for me. She's literally going to pray for me. I'm telling her what's happening. We've now landed in Philadelphia. I've run off the plane

straight on the phone. They're like, look, Sinead's okay. She's not awake. She's in recovery, but both twins are here. They're not out the woods. They're going to check on them every half hour. They're in the ICU, if it's called. Sinead's out cold, but she's steady.

I thought, okay, I'm going to be eight and a half hours. Did you have a fifth drink at that point? Well, I remember this. When I got to the queue to get on the second plane, it was like a big, long queue, and I was the last person in the queue because I'd just made it and there was this lady on there and she went, you OK? And I went, can I upgrade?

I just went, can I just upgrade? I just need to... And I literally managed to... I upgraded my flight and I sat there and I got on the plane and I don't remember, I remember I had a steak, a bottle of red wine and... And then when I landed, I'd be made outside. He took me straight to the hospital. When I got tested, my wife was obviously asleep.

I'd give her a kiss, give her a cuddle, and these two little tiny, tiny bit of babies was in these incubators. They were so small, and I sat there, and I just looked at them, right? And I'm looking, and I've got my... Bear in mind, I've still got my West End manager's kit on, right? And I'm just looking at them, and I'm looking at them right and i'm looking i've got my bear in mind i've still got my west day manager's kit on right and i'm just looking at them and i'm looking at them and all of a sudden my phone starts ringing ringing ringing and i was like because the morning the next day now i've answered

it it's one of her sisters tell me you gonna come back home i was like no there's like you've been sitting up the hospital for eight hours you've been sitting there for i didn't even realize i was in such a trance but i've just been looking at her i'm staring at her oh yeah bloody and i went home and i remember getting home cuddling my little boy and then and then my wife was let out a few days later and then the twins are dead they was in there a long time a few weeks and then uh yes long long time and then they come out and then and then now they're healthy they're starting to walk now and they're driving me mad it It's all good. That's just an incredible story.

Oh, my goodness. What was it like then when you were first able to hold the twins? Because I'm guessing to begin with, they were in the incubator and possibly weren't able to with McCuzzle. What was it like? Oh, it was the best thing ever. I remember going there with S with shanae and i don't know why i took my shirt off i don't know i was like i want to do it they say that don't they just for skin to skin it's good for the babies yeah and i just i mean they still had um little

i'll try and find a picture they had little tubes up their nose and their throat bless them and they had little mittens and because they were so small and they just looked like little bags of bones. They were so small. I could put them in a cup in my hand, they were so little. And I just remember that first little cuddle and I was like, I had both of them, I had both of them, and I just remember cuddling them and thinking,

how lucky am I? And my wife, what a trooper. To do that, I wouldn't have been able to do what she'd done. Do you know what I mean? I'll get a paper cut and I'll start crying. Yeah. You were busy doing the wacky races across the United States of America and a bid to get home.

So, totally changing the subject after, quite frankly, the best birth story ever. I've never yet frankly the best birth story ever i've never yet heard a best birth story that starts with west ham united for starters first words of a birth story so west ham united uh let's talk random question let's talk about rylan for a minute you've known him since you were a teenager i'd quite like to know him i think he's lovely and you were nearly a knob don't believe me i mean i'd quite like to know i mean i'm quite jealous that you're friends with rylan but also you were very nearly in toey weren't you did you think you were always destined for

reality tv in some form no i'll punish you i never wanted to get into into uh tv it's just a mad thing that happened my wife actually applied me to go on apprentice because i've literally sold my whole life out the back of vans and i'm good at it you know and uh she said look and i have a little pillow business and she filled out a form and i'll they accepted me and i wasn't sure whether to do it or not and i've done it and i've done it and it's probably the best thing that ever happened you know like it's done us really really well so but yeah but going back to ryan and he is he's all right you know i mean he's a good friend of us and um i'll tell you some funny stories about him not lads, because he is Mr. Show Business, right? He is Mr. Show Business. Oh, really?

And a little while ago, we are up in Soho, in Little Italy, having dinner, me, my wife, Kimberly and Ryland, and we're all sitting in there, and we're having a few drinks, getting drunk, and he's bought a bottle of champagne, put a spark in it, and got the old restaurant singing Happy Birthday,

just being a prick, right? Remember the laugh? Oh. And it wasn't my birthday.'ve gone we've gone out we've gone outside to we've gone outside to have a cigarette me and him and we're having a cheeky cigarette and bear in mind we are in like ryland's headquarters midler so i would a gay capital london everyone knows him around there like he's in's in that GAY 15 times a month, right? And he's got me sitting there, market trade next to him, one of his good pals.

And I'm like, they all know you, right? He's like, they all know me, Randy. I'm a bit of a face, Randy. I was like, shut up, Ryland, right? Anyway, there's a group of lads walking down the middle aisle, yeah, with all the rainbow flags. They're a lot, right? This is Ryland's mob, yeah?

And they are looking at us like this. And Ryland goes, elbows me and goes, I get this all the time, watch this, right? They've come steaming over, this is true, Ryland talks about this as well. They've come steaming over and gone, Tom, Tom, we love you. We love Dino's calf. Can we have a photo?

And then gone, Rylan, do you mind taking the picture? And his face was like, oh. That's so good. Oh, that's brilliant. Speaking of the calf and food, you famously eat roast dinners or like pie and mash, those sort of things for breakfast.

Why do you do that? And do you think that's the secret to your success? I've got some serious issues. That is literally what I'm saying. No, basically, so I'm a market trader. I get up three, four in the morning. We go to a cafe in East London called Dino's Cafe. And when you're out in the cold, loading up lorries, in the warehouse,

like you've done a day's work before you have your breakfast. So a little bacon roll or a bowl of porridge ain't going to fill you up. So me and all the boys, we have a chicken curry or a spicy curry in the middle of poached eggs, chicken breast. And we don't stop, to be fair. That's bold. Now, talking of food. I'll bring the down there.

You'll love it. Okay, deal. Deal. now talking of food you love it okay deal deal my favorite one of your instagram posts is the one where you are covered in spaghetti hoops and dear listener when i say covered this man the man's been swimming in spaghetti hoops and this is all the result of what your gorgeous twin girls have done tell me are many times a bit of a stress in your house well so so i'll just tell you about spaghetti incident spaghetti gate one of the babies yes one of the babies threw like four spaghetti hoops on me wasn't that bad because i'm a t-shirt then my little boy decided to throw all the spaghetti hoops on me and then my wife decided to pour the bow on my head that is what happened so i got i just got terrorized by my

family which normally works and everyone thinks it's hilarious and I sit there and I literally I had slippers on and I'm I'm just going to say it's so disgusting but like like the next day when I put my slippers

and I put my foot in it there's all spaghetti hoops in my slipper I hate spaghetti hoops so that's making me gag all between me toes do you know my brother would make so many spaghetti hoops

growing up that he started to be ever so slightly tinged orange because that was all he'd eat yeah no can you imagine i can't even eat one spaghetti i didn't know that was a thing anyway sorry not cheaper um but we know tom that like for many parents myself included that we often rely on like processed food for a quick stress feed free dinners and it's not ideal but you are a bit of a food like you were a master chef weren't you um do you have any tips for feeding kids with fast but nutritious food yeah i mean i mean well actually i've been i've been doing a little bit of research no british lion eggs that lovely little stamp you get on your eggs yeah literally doing

some research they've found out that it's something like yeah one in three parents now cook the same food over and over again and nearly half nearly half of all parents have stopped cooking home-cooked meals so So they're going to the freezer, they're getting turkey Twizzlers and chicken nuggets, and I know they're easy, I know it's easy, yeah? But I'm lucky, I introduced my three to all different types of food so that when they get older, they'll eat anything. I eat everything.

My wife hardly eats anything because she was brought up on the same foods, yeah? But as well, people forget about eggs. Like, we must go through so many eggs in our house. But they're so cheap, right? They're full of nutrition, and you can do anything. Like, dinner time, I'll get Henry to help me do a bit of cooking. Like, I do this dish.

You're going to sound dirty, right? But it's tuna, boiled egg, and pasta with a bit of butter. It costs about 50. All mixed in? All mixed. It's tuna, boiled egg and pasta with a bit of butter. It costs about... All mixed in? All mixed in. It's fantastic. No, that does sound good, actually. And do you eat it? Yeah, and my bit of advice is, because dinner time is my time,

is get little Henry involved in the cooking and then he wants to eat it afterwards. You know what I mean? And honestly, look at getting eggs everywhere, because it's just so easy. The winner when my kids were little was eggy bread. You know what I mean? And honestly, look at getting eggs everywhere, because it's just so easy. The winner when my kids were little was eggy bread. Eggy bread was the, if they'll only eat bread,

make eggy bread, because at least it's got a bit of nutrients in it then. Now I want eggy bread. Yeah, I could do that as well. Yeah, well, you're in a cupboard tough. You can't have any. I know, I'm not allowed out of the cupboard. They've stuck me in the cupboard all day. It's lunchtime, Tom.

Are they going to feed you in a minute? Are you going to get eggs? No. No. No, they're horribly. Right, let's get back to Mr Sugar. Now, he's gone into politics, Mr Sugar. He's in the Lords.

Is that your plan what do you reckon is the government crying out for a little bit of Tom no I've been asked well no I've not been asked but I get asked a lot to be London Mayor I mean I know nothing about politics yeah I get asked all the time

to be London Mayor but no listen look there's two things that I try and stay away from and that is religion I'm to be, but no, listen, look, there's two things that I try and stay away from, and that is religion and politics, because you just upset someone. So everyone's got different views and everyone's got different beliefs. And I feel that, look, just, I'm going to stick to selling beds and mattresses and then we market stalls and making a few people laugh and having a few beers with Riley.

I don't think I can see myself in the House of Lords. I think politics could do with a bit of Tom Skinner. Imagine. Well, I'll just tell one thing. Stop being lazy. Stop moaning. Go get work. I just see you being Prime Minister.

I mean, when you think about it, with the cost of living crisis and childcare being able to bankrupt us, you know, and let's not even get started on the state of maternal care. But, you know, so many parents are just despairing at the state of the country. If you were Prime Minister, what would you do? If I wasn't

Prime Minister? If you were. If you were Prime Minister. If I was, I'd be myself, wouldn't I? I'd just be... So if you were Prime primary, if you were... If I was primary, so what would I do? Well, it's a difficult one, really. I mean, I'd probably look at...

Because obviously the problem is not enough housing. Look at housing massively. I think I would definitely get rid of this u-leds and especially around london is you this u-leds is a tax on the working class like people go no it's making the air clearer no it's not people seem to go to work go to school they're having to pay for it same cars are going in and out of london it's just an absolute tax on on normal people and i think i would support um small businesses smes because what people forget is these independent coffee

shops independent bakeries independent businesses their taxes are what pay for the things like the nhs like that protect the roads you know the public sector our nurses our policemen they're all funded by the by the small businesses the uk and their tax money and we're we're losing them at an alarming rate less less small businesses are set up every single year and have been for the last 10 years yeah and once we once they all shut down and we lose them when we're all going these big corporations we're all buying online from from these massive companies that send all their tax abroad there won't be no free health care there won't be no policemen there won't be no ambulance drivers because there'll be no money

so we really need to look at that and i think as well i think i just get get a grip on this on this um cost of living crisis now i understand that there's food shortages with farming in the uk and we're having to buy abroad and and i understand that but i think i think we need to sort of maybe educate people on how to feed their kids because i promise you now that I work on a market still and I can feed myself off of a market for under a pound. You can go on any greengrocer, you can get a nutritional meal, but no money. Yet we're thinking, oh, we have to go to the freezer to get cheap food. It's not cheap. It's not cheap and it's not good for you.

So I think educate people into how to cook, how to eat and how to find out. Eggs, for you you know like so i think i think educate people into how to cook how to eat how to find out eggs again you know eggs fruit and veggies it can be affordable food it doesn't have to be a frozen pizza um and also i think i would i would help the great british pub because pubs again are another one that are dying at an alarming rate and and listen we've got a pandemic in the UK, A, with mental health, especially in men, you know, and it's because pubs are shutting down and blokes can't afford a pint.

A pint on a Friday night, just one or two pints, and sit there and go, even if you had a bad week, I've had a bad week this week, it's great for you, without them pubs, like, and I'd put a bit of funding into youth care. I'm trying to do it now i own a boxing gym i'm doing this anti-knife crime campaign i've spent 20 000 pound of my own money already this year listen we've had a couple of knives and it ain't enough you know but i've spoken to the local council spoke to local police they haven't got any funding they haven't got any money they can't they can't help so i'll carry

i'll carry on spending my own money, but how long can I do that for, you know? And we need to sort of find something for the youth from the age of 13 to 17 where they're too cool to go to the park or out to mum and dad, but they're not quite old enough to get a job or go to pubs. So we need to look after, you know, the young adults,

the teenagers of this world because they're the future and there's a knife crime pandemic they don't know what they want to do we need to have we need to set we role models for these for these kids and we need to look after them we need to we need to stand up and it ain't their fault they get into trouble it's it's our fault really because yeah we ain't we ain't getting our word out there and pushing for them that's the truth well i think you convinced us you don't need to go into politics. Definitely. I think London Mayor, you could do a lot of good shit as London Mayor, Tom.

Yeah, but you know what would happen? I'd end up knocking someone out and it'd all be over. I'd end up knocking out another politician, wouldn't I? The front page of The Standard. But you do seem like such a positive person. And we know that you're a grafter do you think that's you know the fact that you're not afraid of hard work is what makes you love being a dad so much because it is hard work but do you get just stuck into the hard bits and enjoy the really good bits

yeah look listen like again with me and my wife are like a team yeah like like i'm not gonna lie to you my nappy changing ratio between me and my wife is like 90 10 like like ball the line 95 5 i'm not gonna lie to you but but yeah i think look like we we get stuck in we work as a team i graft and and and and i'm i'm like it's just i just get on with it you know like as i said earlier my all three my babies have been i've been sick all week and taking in turn to check on the babies and and changing when he's covered in sick bless him it's been it's been a been a bit of a tough week that's why i look so rough today because i've had no sleep but that's what you do as mums and dads that's what you do as parents don't you you you you kids come first and you work hard to support them that's that's why we're on this planet oh tom thank you for coming to talk to us.

You have made my afternoon. It's been lovely to meet you. Thank you. And I really hope they let you out of the cupboard at some point soon. They're not going to let me out of this f***ing cupboard. Bye, Tom. Thank you so much, Tom.

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