‘I get disgusting messages all the time’, Frankie Bridge speaks out on ‘belittling’ online sexual harassment
With more than 20 years in showbiz, several million record sales and a successful foray into telly, there have been plenty of career highs for Frankie Bridge.
But discovering that Jessica Alba is a fan of her clothing range will take some beating.
The Hollywood star and undisputed style queen took to Instagram last month to share her love for Frankie’s brand, FW Bridge, which is surely the stuff dreams are made of.
“That was a real pinch-me moment, because she’s one of my ultimate style icons,” says Frankie, 34. “Her fashion is so simple and elegant, and she’s also a mum who always looks amazing, so for her to tag us on Instagram is just insane.”
The creation of FW Bridge is another string to mum-of-two Frankie’s bow, and a further example of her ability to go forth and diversify since The Saturdays went on hiatus in 2014.
She’s admitted to feeling a little lost when the girl band went their separate ways after seven years together, and was uncertain about where her future lay.
But she has more than found her feet as a bestselling author, a panellist on Loose Women and with RWL, the health and fitness platform on which she has launched her own programme.
“It took me a little while to figure it out – knowing where you really want to be and what you want to do comes with age. I know what my direction is and that means sometimes pushing myself into more uncomfortable situations.
“You don’t get anywhere by always playing it safe – it’s good to feel a little bit out of your depth sometimes.
‘Feel belittled’
“I’m interviewing stars on the red carpet at the BAFTAs [tonight], which is going to be outside my comfort zone, but I’m excited about trying something new.
“I think that’s how a lot of people are working these days. Everyone talks about the side hustle and I have more options now to do what I love.”
She adds: “I always think if the mums at school have been looking online and seen me at an event the night before and then see me the next day with no make-up, leggings and running after one of the kids, they must think I lead a double life. And I kind of do, but I quite like it that way.”
However, Frankie is more than aware of the dark side of being in the public eye, especially on social media. She applauds Emily Atack, who has spoken out about the relentless sexual harassment she’s subjected to, and says she recognises a lot of what the actress and comedian described in her BBC documentary Emily Atack: Asking For It?.
“I generally don’t get [sent] pictures, but I’ve had regular people sending me the same disgusting messages all the time. I know what it’s going to be now, so I try not to open it, but it makes you feel belittled – and I think this is a conversation we need to be having.
“It’s a really hard one to crack down on and we’ve got a long way to go until it’s eradicated. I’m sure Emily’s documentary will have resonated with a lot of women.”
Joining the Loose Women panel in December 2020 was a step outside her comfort zone and marked a huge turning point in Frankie’s confidence.
“It’s been a real journey for me to feel able to have an opinion. I think my role there is to be honest and if I don’t understand something, I can say that. Some of the women on there are journalists who live and breathe politics, whereas I dip in and out of the news because I find it quite depressing.
“So I feel like I’m the voice of a lot of people sat at home who also sometimes find it a bit confusing. I say what I genuinely feel and ask the questions when I’m not sure.”
‘Scary time’
Nevertheless, this is an age where a slip of the tongue (or a historical tweet) can cause social media pile-ons and kill off careers. Just recently, her fellow Loose Women panellist Katie Piper found herself the subject of more than 60 complaints to Ofcom, after her seemingly light-hearted remarks on the show about a gothic-style baby’s nursery upset some viewers. Is Frankie wary of cancel culture?
“Yes, 100%. I try not to let it sway what I say – and it’s not like I have hugely left-field views on most things anyway. But sometimes it’s the things that you don’t expect people to get p**sed off about that cause the most [fuss]. And I think that makes it a really scary time.
“Cancel culture is really unhealthy. We’ve always taught our children that if you make a mistake, you say sorry, learn from it and move on. And now we’re telling young people that if you mess up once, you’re screwed.
“Obviously there are different levels of that and some things you can’t come back from, but I think it’s going to change the way that TV and journalism work. And how general life works for young kids – and I worry for them with that.”
Former footballer husband Wayne, 42, is based at home, and his retirement nine years ago means Frankie has the flexibility to pursue career opportunities, knowing there’s always someone around to do the school run for their sons, Parker, nine, and seven-year-old Carter. Wayne has said she is now the “breadwinner”, but Frankie bats away that suggestion.
“I mean, let’s be honest, he played football for years before retiring, so he’s already bought the bread!
“I’ve worked since I was 12 and have always liked earning my own money – and that was never going to change. Wayne knew that from the moment we met, and I will continue to work until no one wants me any more!
“But I feel lucky that the boys have their dad at home, so I don’t have to worry about that side of things.”
Parker and Carter are very different characters, something Frankie finds fascinating as they get older. Just recently, Carter appeared alongside her for a social media campaign for the EE BAFTAs, which Parker would have run a mile from.
“It’s so funny how you bring them up the same, but they become their own little human beings.
“Parker is more of a computer person – he’d be on the iPad all day if I let him. He’s got so much older all of a sudden – I’m not allowed to kiss him goodbye in the playground any more.
“Carter is off doing skateboarding, snowboarding, skiing, football, and when I’m filming at home he’s really interested. After we filmed the ad, he said: ‘Mummy, I’d like to do more of this.’”
She has mixed feelings about either of them following in her footsteps, though.
The nature of fame has changed so much since Frankie started out as a singer and she worries what it would mean for them.
“I’m grateful my career began before the internet was such a massive thing – I was really sheltered, so had no idea if people liked my hair or our song. I think that side of things would make me quite nervous about having a kid in the industry.
“But I’d also be proud as punch to watch one of them on stage.”
Frankie’s in regular touch with the other Saturdays, mainly through their WhatsApp group, and recently visited Mollie King and new baby Annabella.
“She’s gorgeous, and Mollie’s doing really well. It’s just so nice seeing everyone’s lives evolve – it’s come so naturally to her.”
She adds: “We’re always up to date with what we’re all doing and always supporting each other. I know people don’t want to believe that women can actually work together and get along, but I’ve managed to do it a few times now!”
With two FW Bridge collection drops coming in the space of two months, exclusively to F&F at Tesco and Next online, Frankie has never been busier.
She is “from start to finish” central to the process, from designing the pieces to selecting the fabrics, as well as directing shoots to promote them, plus choosing the models and setting up an Instagram page to give the brand a social media presence.
“I’ve done a lot of amazing things, but I’m not someone who ever sits back and says: ‘Oh yeah, I did really great,’” says Frankie.
“I think part of that is because I’ve often been involved in things where a lot of decisions were made for me. To have this creative control is quite a new thing, so it’s something that I’m really proud of – as well as being more nervous about it than anything else I’ve done.”
The collections reflect Frankie’s own clean, classic and effortless style – she’s become well known for her impeccable dress sense, and her 1.5 million Instagram followers love her regular Sunday-night series Frankie’s Faves, where she showcases her top picks from the high street.
It all makes her the perfect cover star for our Style Issue. As a young girl, Frankie remembers fashioning dresses out of the family’s floral bedding, which “wasn’t exactly cool”, but gave her an early awareness of shapes and styles.
By the time she was 12 and had joined S Club Juniors – alongside future The Saturdays band mate Rochelle Humes – she was clothes mad.
‘Body armour’
“Back then, TK Maxx was life!” she laughs. “And Tammy Girl was massive for me as well – I still remember my S Club Juniors denim jacket from Tammy. Shopping from there felt a little bit more on the edge, because the tops were a bit more cropped and the skirts a little bit shorter. I just wanted to look like Victoria Beckham.”
Her style has evolved since those early years and Frankie has emerged with a clear sense of what suits her best and what she feels most confident in – feminine pieces with a masculine edge – as well as a determination not to be side-tracked by flash-in-the-pan trends.
“I’m not led by fads, other than giving a nod to trends of the moment,” she says. “I’m really strict on shapes and on arm and leg length. Materials have to be really soft and comfortable.”
Her approach to beauty has changed, too – Frankie prefers a fresher-faced look as opposed to the days when she’d wear three pairs of false eyelashes and make-up “like body armour”.
One thing she won’t pare back, though, are her eyebrows – she’s committed to the bushier, the better, despite the stir they cause – not least from her Loose Women colleague Janet Street-Porter.
“She calls them my ‘caterpillar eyebrows’. If someone wants to say something mean to me, it will often be about my eyebrows.
“But I love them, so I don’t really care! It actually makes me laugh and it’s a bit of a joke between me and Janet now. Whenever I get them freshly tinted or laminated, which means they’re darker and bigger, I can’t wait to see Janet to show her!”
In the past, she might have taken the brow-bashing to heart. But Frankie says she’s found her 30s to be a decade of self-acceptance – it didn’t happen overnight and it’s a process that’s ongoing.
“Everyone told me that turning 30 is when you learn to love yourself, and I remember the day before my 30th birthday, thinking: ‘OK, so it’s not happened…’
“But it’s not a switch. As I’ve got further into my 30s, I’ve become more curious about things. I’m not trying to prove myself like I was in my 20s.
“I want to enjoy my life and what I’ve achieved, rather than worry about how I look or what people think of me. That doesn’t mean I don’t care, but I’m just more interested in ways I can take those moments and say: ‘I did that’, rather than immediately looking for what’s coming next.”
- FW Bridge is available now, exclusively at F&F at Tesco and Next.co.uk.
Frankie on parenting
What’s your funniest parenting memory?
Because of FW Bridge, Carter thinks I work in Tesco! I love the innocence of that.
What’s been your biggest win?
On those rare occasions when they’ve gone to bed and are asleep on time and I’ve got their school bags all ready for the next morning.
Have you had any notable fails?
Putting too much pressure on myself. You can’t be everything to everyone and I’m learning that giving 90% is OK.
Any top tips?
If I want them to do something and they don’t, I tell them I’m counting to five. It works every time – even I don’t know what happens past five, though!
Is there anything you wish you’d known before having your kids?
That they’re always on your mind – you can never fully switch off from being a parent, it’s a constant worry.
Who’s your parenting inspo?
My mum. I get my resilience from her.