Laura Whitmore: "If you have any type of platform, or a voice, you really should be asking questions. You should be speaking out"

“What kind of world are we bringing our children into?”

It’s a challenging question that Laura Whitmore, like millions of other people around the globe, has grappled with more than once.

Homelessness figures reaching new record highs – and not just here in Ireland. Genocide in Gaza. Concerns around rapidly advancing AI. Democracy under threat. Authoritarianism, and hateful anti-immigrant rhetoric, on the rise. There’s no doubt that the planet the next generation will inherit is fraught with deeply troubling problems, at every level.

As the mother of a four-year-old daughter, these are issues that weigh especially heavily on Laura’s mind these days – particularly now, as the 40-year-old broadcaster, author, actor, and podcaster prepares for the next major stage in her parenting journey. At the time of our conversation, she reveals that she is six months pregnant with her second child – going public with the news for the first time.

“Once you become a mother, you feel extra sensitive to anything to do with children,” she reflects. “But I think even if you don’t have children, you’re likely to be sensitive to that – because they’re so vulnerable. So many people are born into situations that they don’t ask for. The past year alone, we’ve seen war take a terrible toll, and such a divided world, where everyone’s against each other – and you just have to ask, ‘What are we leaving for the next generation of children?’”

FEARLESSLY OUTSPOKEN NATURE

Initially rising to prominence as the face of MTV News in Europe, Laura has quite literally built a career out of asking questions.

Her path has been anything but predictable – with high-profile presenting roles on the likes of Love Island, I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here Now, and her own ITV breakfast show; a best-selling book, No One Can Change Your Life Except For You; investigative documentary series for ITV, Apple TV and Prime Video; a popular BBC podcast series, Murder They Wrote, with her husband, comedian Iain Stirling; and a string of highly impressive theatre credits, including a West End run.

Through it all, the Bray-raised, London-based star has been determined to use her platform to speak out about some of the most critical issues facing the world today. Back in September, she made a powerful speech at the star-studded Together For Palestine show in London’s Wembley Arena, in which she discussed bringing her young daughter to her first protest, “to teach her that, when you see something wrong, you speak up.”

This Tuesday, for St Patrick’s Day, Laura is also set to MC the annual Rock Against Homelessness concert at Dublin’s 3Olympia Theatre, in aid of Focus Ireland – as part of a line-up featuring the likes of Sharon Shannon, Bob Geldof, Kíla, Camille O’Sullivan and Garron Noone.

But despite her fearlessly outspoken nature – something she proudly attributes to coming from a line of strong Irish women – Laura has always been cautious about revealing too much about her life as a parent.

“It’s such a personal thing,” she says of motherhood. “And there’s so much judgement out there. It’s one thing, people judging you – but if someone starts judging my child, that would be really hard.

“Pregnancy is also very personal,” she adds. “I try to keep the news to myself for as long as possible, because there’s the fear of miscarriage, and the different things that can go wrong during a pregnancy. It’s also such a big thing to get your head around, being a mother for the first time – and then, being a mother to two. I still feel in my head, ‘Oh God, what will my parents say?!’ As if I’m a teen mom. I’m not, I’m 40! It’s strange, but that’s still how I feel sometimes.”

Her last pregnancy was during lockdown – which had its benefits, she says now.

“It was a really tough time for so many people, but I actually quite enjoyed being home,” she smiles.

Second time around, it’s been far harder to deal with morning sickness.

“Particularly in the early stages,” she acknowledges. “I think I vomited just about everywhere in London! I’ve been onstage, and have come off and vomited in a toilet. On the way to and from engagements, I’ve had to get Addison Lee cars I was travelling in to pull over, and I’ve been sick on the side of the road. I was like ‘Oh, I wish it was lockdown, and I didn’t have to leave the house…’

“But you have to keep going, sick or not!" she laughs. "That’s the glamorous life I lead!”

A WHOLE NEW KETTLE OF FISH

One of the trickiest things about being a parent in 2026, is navigating a treacherous tech-dominated world that didn’t even exist when Laura was growing up. And the arrival of AI is going to accelerate that.

“I just did this campaign with young people and AI,” she tells me. “And it is quite scary. A lot of them are turning to ChatGPT, almost for friendship. They’re asking AI these personal questions, and getting advice, because they’re too embarrassed to ask anyone else. What happens then, is you end up getting a really biased narrative back.

“It’s terrifying,” she adds. “This is not something we had to think about when I was a kid. If I wasn’t invited to a party – which I wasn’t, all the time – I just didn’t know about it, and I lived in my own little world of bliss. But now, with social media, you can’t escape hearing every detail about these things. So many children are feeling isolated or left out. That’s not good for anyone.”

Since the birth of her first child, Laura has made a determined effort to carefully guard her daughter’s privacy online.

“I’d never judge people who do show their kids online,” she reflects. “I just don’t have it figured out yet – and I think if you’re unsure of anything, err on the side of caution, where possible.”

There are particular challenges for people in the public eye.

“I was actually told by a lawyer, when I had issues before, that if you ever, even once, put a picture of your child’s face up, that means that any photographer or paparazzi can take a picture of your child out the front of your house, and print it,” she continues. “That terrified me. And also, once someone has the name of your child and their date of birth, they can get all these other details. So I’m always really careful about how much information I share, and where.

“As parents in this generation, we really do have a whole new kettle of fish to navigate through,” she adds. “I think it’s going to get to the stage soon, particularly with my four-year-old, where she’s just teaching me. I’ve got a godchild now who’s a teenager, and my God, she gives me an education. She got me on TikTok!”

Of course, as a mother, Laura is also deeply concerned about how divided, and unequal, the world is right now.

“We’re talking about the world moving faster and faster, which is one problem,” she observes. “But we’re also looking at these huge differences between groups of people. You’ve got billionaires, and then you’ve got children in Gaza. The top 1.6% of extremely wealthy people own 48% of the world’s wealth, and there are people who have absolutely nothing, children that are starving. How have we allowed the world to become so separated, and so unfair?”

With homelessness in Ireland having reached record highs, Laura emphasises the importance of charities like Focus Ireland, and events like Rock Against Homelessness.

“What’s happening is the divide is growing and growing in Ireland, as well as across the world,” she nods. “I just don’t understand how, in 2026, over 5,000 children in Ireland don’t have a home. How is that even happening, in a rich, progressive country like Ireland? This isn’t the dark ages. I feel that the government has to accept a lot of responsibility here – because it’s just not right.

“People are like, ‘Who am I to speak of anything political, what do I know?’ she adds. “But if you have any type of platform, or a voice, you really should be asking questions. You should be speaking out.”

It has also disturbed her to see divisive, racist rhetoric spreading in Ireland.

“I’m very proud to be Irish, and to see how Ireland really opened its arms, for example, to embrace a lot of Ukrainians coming in,” Laura remarks. “But we can’t afford to lose that. There may be a relatively small number of people stirring it up, but we’re looking at so much anger, and divisiveness – especially with people now going, ‘Okay, we don’t want any more people coming in.’ But so many Irish people don’t even live in Ireland, so we’re hypocrites to be in any way anti-immigrant – because that’s what most of us were.”

A LOT OF STRONG WOMEN AROUND

Over the past couple of years, Laura has spoken out very powerfully in solidarity with the people of Palestine. She feels thats her stance on the issue was shaped, at least in part, by coming from Ireland.

“Because of our history, I think Irish people saw things, or were aware of things, before others were,” she reckons. “The problem is, we all live in these echo chambers, where we hear and see the things that we want to hear. There’ll be certain groups – even friends and work colleagues – who won’t see what I see. That’s why we need to constantly have these conversations about what’s really happening in Gaza.

“I also just think it’s common sense – if you see something wrong, you speak about it,” she says of Palestine. “It is difficult, because there’s a fear that, any time you speak about anything, you’ll probably get backlash, or you’ll get it wrong. It can be easier to say nothing and bury your head in the sand. But that’s not who I am.”

Where does she think that forthright nature came from?

“I think I’m just an average Irish woman!” she laughs. “We’re not very quiet are we? I’m really lucky that I grew up in the ‘90s, when Mary Robinson was the first Irish woman president, and you had incredible musicians, like Sinéad O’Connor and Dolores O’Riordan – people who used their space to talk about things that mattered.

“I also had really good role models, like my mom,” she adds. “And she’s got eight sisters, so there were a lot of strong women around!”

That generation, of course, had more than its fair share of challenges, when it came to motherhood.

“My grandmother had 13 children,” she says. “And there was no post-natal care, or even understanding your body, and what your body’s going through. Pregnancy doesn’t stop with birth – you’ve got the aftermath, and all of that.

“When my mother had me, in the 1980s, she was a single woman,” she continues. “She had me when she was 30 – which I think was old back then! And she was single, which was very tough. Luckily, she had a career, and she had her own house that she bought herself, so she was probably not the average stereotype.

“But things have definitely changed, for the better,” she adds. “As women, we have a bit more power, and we can probably look after ourselves a little bit better – in that we’re very aware of better health care, and better after-care. And we’re raising questions about the childcare situation, and the support that women get when they’re going back to work.”

EVEN MORE IRISH

Laura also credits her Irish heritage for helping to shape her career path – from interviewing and presenting, to investigating true crime in her documentary series and podcast.

“Irish people are great storytellers,” she elaborates. “And I think it’s important to tell stories, whether they make us uncomfortable or not – whether they’re true stories, or stories that we embellish a little bit! And Irish people are really great talkers – even though sometimes we talk in circles, rather than talking about what lies underneath.”

She reflects that “juggling a million things” – from work demands to family – has always come naturally too.

“It’s non-stop, but that’s just my personality,” she asserts. “My oldest auntie is, like, 90 and she’s non-stop too. It’s our mentality. We’re always doing something, and that’s what keeps us going. I think the day we stop, we die.

“I also feel, because there’s so much going on in the world at the moment, you just have to keep on at it, and be as optimistic as you can,” she continues. “Because it is a tough oul’ place.”

After making her West End debut back in 2022, in 2:22 A Ghost Story, and touring Ireland and the UK last year as the star of The Girl On The Train, theatre is also clearly something that continues to inspire Laura.

“Theatre’s my favourite thing to do,” she tells me. “I’m really lucky to be able to dip in and out of it. I ended up doing three different shows in the space of 12 months, which was great, and hugely beneficial for honing those acting skills. But it was also quite exhausting. It’s hard, because you don’t have evenings, and it takes you out of doing other work that you might want to do. So I’m taking a break from theatre for a little bit, to do some filming – but it’s definitely something I’ll go back to again.”

As a broadcaster and DJ – and, first and foremost, a massive music fan – Laura remains clued into the Irish music scene too.

“The Irish scene is international now,” she enthuses. “Dermot Kennedy’s an international star, and Fontaines D.C. as well. For such a small country, the music’s hugely powerful. A few years ago I was doing a breakfast show in the UK – and I had Cian Ducrot on, and I had Nell Mescal on. And I think I played LYRA’s first radio play on BBC. When I can, I will always shout about Irish musicians – but there’s so many that are really talented, so they deserve to be there anyway.”

She’s been equally inspired to see Irish people in other creative industries continuing to shine on the world stage.

“You look at Taylor Swift’s new music video, and there’s three Irish people in it: Graham, Domhnall and Cillian. You look at one of the most nominated films right now, about a really famous British family and British playwright – and the two leads are played by Irish people, Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal. It’s brilliant to see.

“And it’s about time,” she adds. “For such a small country, I always joke, ‘We do get around!’ We leave, and we spread out – and that’s okay. I love coming back home to Ireland, but I also love being Irish away from Ireland. It makes me feel even more Irish, because I feel like I have more of a responsibility.”

Credit: Kathrin Baumbach

It’s also been important to Laura to imbue her daughter with that same love and appreciation of her culture.

“She’s got her little book of basic Irish words,” she smiles. “Last year, at her nursery, I brought in shamrocks that I planted for St Patrick’s Day, and we taught them some Irish dancing. The school she goes to is very multicultural, which is lovely. Some families come in and teach about Diwali, and I’ll come in and talk about St Brigid’s Day or St Patrick’s Day.

“I grew up in a little bubble, in my hometown, of just seeing one type of person, so it’s really lovely to be in a city where you see lots of different people,” she continues. “Ireland is also much more multicultural now than it was when I grew up, and it’s so nice, having that diversity.”

Has she ever considered moving her family back to Ireland?

“London’s a really good base for getting to places, and I do spend a lot of the year in different countries,” she says. “And I’m really lucky, that going from London to Dublin is so easy. I have a place in Ireland too. I was working there during the summer last year and the year before – so if I can spend a few weeks, I will. I go back and try to encourage a little bit of Irishness in her!”

I’M ON THE ROLLERCOASTER

While life, and motherhood, has brought plenty of changes and challenges over these past few years, Laura tells me she feels more confident and driven than ever – something that has extended into how she now approaches her career.

“The first job I got was through a show called Pick Me MTV – where I was literally waiting for someone to pick me,” she reflects. “And I think a lot of people in this industry wait for people to pick them. Now, I’m like, ‘Okay, I’m going to do this doc series, but I want to be executive producer. And then I want to write something…’ So, as well as being chosen for stuff, I want to create as well. It’s about doing things that challenge you, and doing things that give you purpose. Or even just pushing yourself forward, to have a little bit more ownership over your career.”

Did turning 40 last May also feel like a major milestone on that journey?

“Not really, because in my head I still think I’m in my 20s!” she laughs. “I don’t feel older, even though it sounds older. Though I remember when my mother turned 40, I thought she was ancient…

“Also, as soon as I turned 38, any time I was doing press, journalists would be like, ‘Oh, you’re nearly 40!’ So I feel like I turned 40 two years ago – I’m basically in my mid-40s now!”

Looking ahead – as the world continues to undergo dramatic changes – Laura recognises that, in life, there is only ever so much within our control. That’s why her main goal these days is as vital as it is simple: “To be happy and fulfilled... Not to get too cheesy about it,” she laughs.

“I saw this old article recently, from when I was 23,” she recalls. “And in it I said, ‘I don’t want to still be on MTV when I’m 40!’ I thought that 40 was miles away back then. And I’m not on MTV – I left it years ago – but it was still funny, to see my naivety at that stage.

“So it’s very hard to think about where I see myself in another ten years or so,” she continues. “Everything is changing. When I was growing up, we had three main TV stations in Ireland. The dream was to get on one of the big stations. It’s still great to do all that – but now the biggest viewerships are streamers, or YouTube, or online. Podcasting is overtaking radio – it’s much bigger, and more lucrative. You can create your own space, and your own audience, in a different way, working from a studio in your house. And that didn’t even exist ten years ago.

“I’m excited for the way the world is going to go,” she concludes. “Excited and terrified. But I’m on the rollercoaster – and I’m loving it.”

Laura Whitmore will MC ‘Rock Against Homelessness’ – starring The Sharon Shannon Big Band, Bob Geldof, Kíla, Garron Noone, Camille O’Sullivan and more – at Dublin’s 3Olympia Theatre on March 17, in aid of Focus Ireland.

Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling’s Murder They Wrote podcast is available to stream now.

Laura Whitmore Investigates streams on ITV X and Laura Whitmore On Crime And Investigation is available on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Team Credits

Photographer: Kathrin Baumbach
Stylist: Dee Moran
Hair Stylist: Joe Pickering-Taylor
Make Up Artist: Tori Ball

Designers:

Shot 1: Jumper by Colin Burke from Havana Boutique
Starling Statement Silver Ring by
Emer Roberts
All other jewellery Laura’s own

Shot 2: Jacket & Skirt by Róisín Pierce
Silver Starling Necklace, Gold Round Halo Stacking Ring both by Emer Roberts
All other jewellery and shoes Laura’s own

Shot 3: Knit by Sophie Brunkard
Shorts by Simone Rocha from Liberty London

Shot 4: Shirt by AOIFE®
Gold Halo Mixed Chain Bracelet, Starling Statement Silver Ring both by Emer Roberts

Shot 5: Jacket & Skirt by Dare To Howl
Gold Halo Mixed Chain Bracelet by Emer Roberts
All other jewellery and shoes Laura’s own