Sophie Ellis-Bextor reveals her family went into quarantine early to keep her step-father safe during cancer battle as she and mum Janet detail isolation from separate homes
They are spending time at home during the UK’s lockdown, and haven’t seen each other despite living just 10 minutes apart.
And Sophie Ellis-Bextor and her mother Janet appeared via video link from their homes on Tuesday’s edition of Lorraine, to discuss how life has been in quarantine.
Explaining that they went into isolation before the official lockdown because they didn’t want to risk making her step-dad ill during his battle with cancer, the singer, 41, explained: ‘Our distancing started a few weeks before the government advised it.
Being safe: Sophie Ellis-Bextor revealed her family went into quarantine early to keep her step-father safe during cancer battle, while appearing on Tuesday’s edition of Lorraine
‘It’s weird not having the people around you’d usually have. I’ve seen my mother at a distance about three times, I can’t wait to go back to my regular family life.’
Janet reiterated: ‘I miss the smell of them [her grandkids]! The smell of the baby is irreplaceable. Although I can see them, it’s not the same.’
Going on to discuss her husband’s current situation, she added: ‘My husband lives with cancer, so his treatment is suspended at the moment. He has a wonderful doctor who will get him the treatment when he can.’
Reunited: Sophie and mum her Janet detailed isolation in separate video links, as they remain apart and haven’t seen each other despite living just 10 minutes apart
Sophie went on to discuss how she keeps her family entertained during lockdown, as she detailed how she home schools sons Sonny, 16, Kit, 11, Ray, 7, and Mickey, 15 months, who she shares with husband Richard Jones.
‘Keeping them amused is taking over homeschooling. I’ve prioritised work for the teenagers, but for the others its about keeping them really happy.
‘We played hide and seek yesterday, so if that’s how we spend our day, that’s fine with me. I had my birthday a couple of weeks ago, which was very weird.’
Missing them: The singer said of her quarantine: ‘Our distancing started a few weeks before the government advised it. It’s weird not having the people around you’d usually have’
Candid: Janet said of her husband’s cancer battle: ‘His treatment is suspended at the moment. He has a wonderful doctor who will get him the treatment when he can’
She even put on a ‘kitchen disco’ for her children, as Sophie admitted: ‘We have a smoke machine, a disco light and a mirror ball.
The kids are crawling all over the house! It’s their mad mum singing into her phone every week. Everything is very heavy at the moment.
‘People want something a bit silly and fun, all the kids are getting into it. They know it’s not forever.’
Emotional: Sophie admitted she missed not being about to see her family: ‘I’ve seen my mother at a distance about three times, I can’t wait to go back to my regular family life’