We’re sitting down to talk to Love Island legend Amy Hart, but she certainly isn’t sitting down to talk to us. Listening to the rustle of the tin foil as she makes lunch for her one-year-old son Stanley while also answering the door to the postman, there’s no doubt that Amy’s entered her most exciting era yet – her mum era.
A musical-theatre mega-fan who said she’d kissed her fair share of frogs, air hostess Amy, 31, was a breath of fresh air when she appeared on the fifth season of Love Island in 2019. Although she didn’t find love and voluntarily walked away from the villa after facing heartbreak over her failed relationship with Curtis Pritchard, she became an icon of female empowerment.
Then, at 28, Amy decided to take motherhood into her own hands. Discovering her fertility levels were low, the star took fans along on her journey as she froze her eggs, marking the first step towards welcoming a baby on her own. That is, until Cupid came calling. A modern-day love story (and by that, we mean dating app Bumble), last year saw Amy get engaged to tech entrepreneur Sam Rason after welcoming son Stanley in March.
Having found her own happy ending, she’s now desperate to help others find theirs. From solo mothers to same-sex couples, Amy is raising awareness about the realities of trying to conceive. If there’s one thing to know about Amy, it’s that she’s a self-confessed oversharer in the best possible way...
What’s the best thing about motherhood?
When we see Stanley in the mornings, and he’s stood up in his cot, smiling away. He’s so cute. Honestly, I think boys get a bad rep in general. When I was pregnant, the amount of people who would say to me, “I think it’s going to be a boy” with a sad look on their face. I love being a boy mum! He’s just so happy and gorgeous.
The baby clothes are pretty cute, too…
And I’m not anti-character. I know a lot of people are very snobby about characters on kids’ clothes, but I love it.
Is there anything you wish you’d known?
I knew quite a lot, because I had friends who already had kids and I was very involved in their lives. I’m an interviewer by design – I’m very nosy – so I sort of remembered everything everyone had ever told me. I think the only thing, and it’s pretty graphic, is that when people say 10cm dilated, I thought that meant the whole thing. Nope. Inside goes to 10cm, the main exit remains at a normal size. How did I get to my thirties and not know that?
How was the festive period as a mum? We imagine there were fewer bottomless brunches…
Contrary to popular belief – which has only been perpetrated by myself – I’m actually not a massive drinker. But I am a binge drinker. I got drunk twice in 2023, and I was sick both times because I’m so all or nothing. Christmas was slightly different. I do feel sorry for Stanley now, though. We put all our Christmas decorations up on 1 November because of work commitments, so he had two-and-a-half months of lights, snow globes, and singing Santas. Anytime he got a bit grouchy, I’d take him to the Christmas tree. January must be hard for the babies. They don’t understand why everything is now suddenly boring when it’s all taken down.
You’re the ambassador of femme health, a store dedicated to all things fertility. What made you get involved?
I’m very picky about the brands I work with, and there’s a lot of stuff I won’t do. I’ve had such an amazing response from sharing my experience with egg freezing and fertility MOTs that I knew working with femme health was perfect. They’re an online department store for women’s health products, specifically to do with fertility. The main thing I love is the various testing they offer. When I was on my fertility journey, I was in a position where I could just pay for egg freezing and it was fine. But for some people, it’s the question of how much are they willing to spend to have a baby, because there’s so many hidden costs. Femme health helps you to make savings, which gives you money in your pocket for other unexpected expenses that might come during your fertility journey.
You’ve always been so open about your fertility journey. Why is that?
I didn’t do anything ground-breaking to receive my platform. I obviously went on a TV show, the noble profession of reality star – and the even nobler profession of ex-reality star. I feel like there’s no such thing as a free lunch, and you do have to morally give something back. I am the biggest oversharer. I just like to know I can help other people.
What’s one thing you’d tell your younger self?
Don’t sweat the small stuff, and just be grateful that you’re able to buy any clothes you want. One day, you’ll be 31, you’ll have had a baby, and you’ll have to try everything on.
Have you got a new-found respect at what your body can do now you have given birth?
Yes! I really enjoyed being pregnant because I’m of the era of diet culture. As much as you try to untrain your brain, it’s always there. Being pregnant, I didn’t have to calorie count and I could wear Spandex dresses all the time. My best friend said to me that she’d never seen me so body confident – and she’s known me for 15 years.
You’re also on the Love Island podcast. How does it feel to return?
It’s amazing. I am a massive Love Island fan, that’s why I applied to go on the show in the first place. I think what I bring to the podcast is my crazy good long-term memory. I remember everything anyone has ever said.
Favourite series?
Series four. It was the first time I ever watched the show. I quickly realised that everybody was going to be talking about it for the next eight weeks, so I took my iPad to the gym on the Tuesday morning to watch Monday night’s episode. That was it, I was addicted.
Who are you hoping finds love on All Stars?
Liberty. I could see similarities between us when she was in there the first time. Also Kaz – she’s amazing.
Talking of love, congrats on your engagement!
Thank you. I went wedding dress shopping the other day.
How was it?
Really good. I used to do pageants back in the day, and one of my pageant friends had said that we’re already so used to wearing these type of dresses. But then I put this dress on – I’d never have looked at it, except my stylist Jeff Mehmet asked me to try it on – and I ended up loving it.
Is wedding planning stressful?
No, we’ve got a wedding planner. The only thing that is stressful is when I haven’t done what I’m supposed to do, and the emails come through saying, “Hi, Amy, have you done this?”
Will your first dance be a musical theatre mega-mix?
So, it’s a four-day wedding, of course. The first dance isn’t a song written for a musical, but it has been in a musical, and one of my friends who has just left the West End production of Hamilton is singing it. At one point, he wasn’t sure he would come to the wedding, because he has another friend getting married on the same day. But get this – both our weddings are in Spain, only 35 minutes away from each other. He’s going to their ceremony and drinks, and then to ours for the meal and the first dance. It’s fate.
When did you know Sam was the one?
I knew after the second date. I was telling all my friends that this was the boy I was going to marry. They were all like, “Amy, you’ve met this man twice.”
When you know, you know…
I just got his vibe. For weeks before our first date, we’d been talking on the phone for hours every night. We’d already covered all the small talk before even meeting in person. I was like, “Oh my God, have I shared too much?” He’s still here, so I think I’m good.
Is Disneyland still on the cards for the honeymoon?
No, we’re now off to Vegas. Sam’s been before with the boys, and I’ve been loads of times when I was flying and on girls’ holidays. Me and my best friend used to go, and we would literally get there, go to Sephora to have our make-up done, go clubbing, and repeat it all again for three days in a row. I love it there. Me and Sam were thinking where we could go that we wouldn’t be able to take Stanley, and that’s Vegas. We are doing Disneyland Paris for his first birthday, though, and we might be able to fit an Orlando trip in next year, before I get pregnant. It’s my dad’s dream to take all his grandchildren to Orlando. Any time new grandchildren are born, we’ll have to go back.
Has Stanley’s Disney education already started?
Yes, he loves Moana. I think it’s all the patterns. I do try to get him watching a diverse range of things, like The Muppets and Barney In Concert. But nothing holds his attention as much as dancing fruit and Miss Rachel. If I need to cook dinner, that’s what goes on. I did take him to the panto, though. It was two-and-a-half hours long, and he was clapping along and dancing.
Sounds like a boy who was born for the stage…
Exactly. We’ve got a lot – and I mean a lot – of musical instruments in the house.
If you could only watch one musical for the rest of your life, which would it be?
Oh, that’s a tough one. Every musical has a lull, but I will say that I really like Come From Away. The beauty of it is it’s only an hour-and-a-half. Basically, it’s all about when 9/11 happened and they closed the American airspace, and the planes all needed somewhere to go. The premise sounds really depressing, but I promise it’s not. When I watched it, I literally cried the whole time. Happy tears, though, I swear!
Amy Hart is a brand ambassador for femme health, the first fertility and conception online department store in the UK