Aimee Fuller and Katya Jones talk Olympic training regimes and post-Strictly pizza

Virgin Radio

26 Jul 2024, 13:22

Snowboarder, ex-Team GB star and TV personality Aimee Fuller joins the latest Spooning podcast, alongside Strictly Come Dancing professional, Katya Jones.

The two pals, who were Celebrity Hunted teammates last year, talk to host Mark Wogan about their training regimes, while Mark sees if he can change Katya's mind on aniseed and Aimee's mind on caviar.

Aimee is a British snowboarder who represented Great Britain at the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2018 Winter Olympics. Speaking about her food habits while training, she says: “When you're sort of working towards a goal, such as the Olympics, you put everything into it. So I didn't drink for a year, and I ate probably on the verge of eating too clean.”

The Olympian explains: “Just not straying over the other side of having the odd treat. So, I'd have a big bowl of porridge, my eggs, and then lunch would be sweet potato and fish, and then dinner would be, you know, just like greens and chicken, but I very rarely strayed. I didn't really ever eat anything sweet, so it was very, very bland. And I did that for a long, long period of time.”

Aimee tells the son of the late Sir Terry Wogan and owner of Homeslice Pizza: “Some of my mates would chow down on pizza after an event, and I literally didn't touch anything like that. 

“I believed that I should be eating a certain way. And I do believe performance wise, I was the strongest and fittest, obviously, that I'd ever been. I was like a lean, mean, little fighting machine. But I think it was unattainable. And I'd say now I found a better balance with finding the good nutrition in food, but also having a slice of pizza and some chips or whatever.”

Talking of Pizza, dancer Katya tells Mark about her post Strictly eating habits. “The filming days are long,” she says. “I could be in the makeup chair, like, 7am, full hair and makeup, makeup by like nine. Rehearse all day. The show doesn't go on air till 6.30/7pm so we're done at 11. Then there's extra filming. So what happens is the production orders hundreds of Domino's Pizzas. 

“The type that they order, I don't like. I don't like the regular crust, thick crust, so I rush home after having hopefully a successful performance, order one on the way, because it takes about that time for me to get home, and it arrives, hot, thin and crispy. And I put the show on, because I obviously haven't seen it because I was in it. I watch the whole show and eat my pizza, dipping into garlic sauce. Oh, I love it.”

Mark asks if the professional likes watching herself dance, to which she replies: “Yes, because I analyse and criticise, so I can do better next time.”

When Mark presents Katya with a pig’s trotter, she speaks about how her mum “always cooks them”. Meanwhile, Aimee looks disgusted. “Why are you so traumatised?” Katya asks her.

“I couldn't eat it. No way,” comes the response. 

This leads Katya to saying: “We're really good friends, right? And we spend a lot of time together, because we're single. I have a thing for fussy eaters, it actually winds me up a little bit, but you've never seen me being wound up by you being picky!”

She adds: “I’ve accepted her for who she is.”

Katya continues: “It’s a therapy session - but I feel like this is a good environment for me to get off my chest, so you don't do it again. What I don't like, is when people don't like something and they go, ‘Oh, it's disgusting,’ whilst I'm putting it in my mouth, I think it’s disrespectful!”

Read what Katya had to say about the ongoing Strictly controversy here, and watch the full interview below.

You can hear Aimee's podcast, Monday Mile, where you get your podcasts from and look out for Mark joining Aimee on her podcast soon.

Read what Mark Wogan told Chris Evans Breakfast about why he blindfolds guests on his Spooning podcast here. 

Previous Spooning guests include Claudia Winkleman, Helen Skelton, Gaby Roslin, Beverley Knight, Jimmy Carr, Jason Fox, the Appleton sisters, Russell Kane, The Hairy Bikers, James Martin, Joe Wicks, Eddie Izzard and Virgin Radio’s own Ryan Tubridy.

Spooning is out wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are released every Thursday. Watch along via @virginradiouk on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Tiktok.

You can see Spooning With Mark Wogan in St Albans from 6-8th August by visiting pubintheparkuk.com.